WEB DESK: The military will take power in Bangladesh to settle the situation following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation while plans to form an interim government materialize, Robinder Sachdev, president of India’s Imagindia Institute think tank, told reporters.
“The army will take control. Though there is talk of an interim government of technocrats, it is understood that law and order in the country will be in the hands of the army,” the analyst pointed out.
According to him, the goals of any potential provisional government would include stabilizing the civil situation, making some policy changes that protesters have been demanding, and preparing for parliamentary elections. “There can be many delays and twists in this process, and the army could end up taking control of the country for several months or longer, and elections may or may not take place within the next three to six months,” the expert predicted.
Speaking about what Bangladesh could expect going forward, Sachdev noted that violence against politicians and supporters of the Awami League Party chaired by Sheikh Hasina would continue for a while. The expert also did not rule out mass vandalism and riots. “Hopefully this cycle will slow down and stop in the next few days,” he added.
Earlier, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned amid mass protests, leaving the country’s capital of Dhaka, where protesters seized her residence. In early July, protests against job quotas for relatives of 1971 independence war veterans broke out across the South Asian nation. Tensions continued to grow, with demonstrations escalating into clashes that killed over 250 people.
On Monday, Bangladeshi President Shahabuddin Chuppu announced following a meeting with the leaders of political parties, civil society members and military offices that the country’s parliament would be dissolved in order to form an interim government. The parties also agreed that the army would take measures to normalize the situation.
