On the afternoon of August 5th, televisions in Bangladesh broadcast images of a helicopter rising from the residence of Sheikh Hasina, the country’s prime minister until minutes before. The chopper was carrying her and her sister “to safety”. Shortly afterwards images appeared of gleeful protesters entering the prime minister’s residence, lounging in her bed and making off with pets and furniture. Others were filmed dancing in the streets of Dhaka. In an address to the nation, General Waker-uz-Zaman, the army chief, confirmed that Sheikh Hasina had resigned and said he would form an interim government. One of the world’s wiliest autocrats, and its longest-serving female head of government, she had been summarily dispatched by angry citizens. “She is a blood-sucker, a monster for us, for the young people,” said a protester. “She destroyed Bangladesh.”
Started from students, then a mass of citizens, who eventually pushed back and managed to actually kick her out.
It’s bizarre to me that the country doesn’t have a line of succession for the next person to automatically assume the vacant position.
Apparently they’re supposed to have a deputy, but the position has been vacant since 1990, when the current government system was established.
Usually, parliamentary systems will elect a temporary caretaker, but I guess Bangladesh isn’t stable enough for that. Seems they often end up with the military temporarily in control.
Dictators often make sure they have no successor, because that makes them harder to depose and replace. Take Putin, for example. Few other Russian elites have anything to gain by staying in Ukraine, but they’d still prefer a draining war there to a civil war at home. So, he does things like make Medvedev post about how much he wants a nuclear exchange, and he stays relatively coup-proof due to lack of any alternative with staying power.
lounging in her bed and making off with pets and furniture
Interesting looting priorities.
Hopefully democracy can resume again. I’m glad Bangladesh is a tiger economy and has grown so insanely fast, but she became exactly what she fought to remove.
For now it seems the military took over. They say ‘temporarily’, but they always say that… it might, as well, be just a change of the dictator. Let’s hope it is not the case, this time.
Yes. I have no actual special insight on the situation. Given the recent democracy it doesn’t sound impossible it could return, ooor it could be junta time.
Interim government under the army
If we’re going by the usual antics of South Asia, this is probably not a good sign.
Actually, this is an interesting development.
I’m just surprised there was a female dictator of an Islamic country at all given how little respect that religion has for women.
I think this says more about how you view Islam than Islam actually limiting women.
Benazir Bhutto was a double prime minister of Pakistan and an infamous political martyr.
You know a country literally founded on the basis of having a dedicated region for Muslims.
Even Bangladesh’s opposition and former PM is a woman.
There’s plenty more examples: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim_women_heads_of_state_and_government
Meanwhile you’re shilling for Israel which is disgraceful given how little respect that country has for Palestinians.
Palestinians had zero respect for them either and started several wars against Israel which they lost. Maybe they should’ve thought about that then.
So do you think they had it coming and deserve being genocided because they’re Palestinian or Muslim or both?
Minorities in Bangladesh are fucked.
All rights are won through violence!! ✊
I’m not sure whether to agree or disagree. It all depends on how much indirection you allow.
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