Protest: Political Turmoil in Bangladesh Leads to Dissolution of Parliament

Bangladesh's President Mohammed Shahabuddin has dissolved the parliament, paving the way for an interim government and new elections.

This decisive action followed the resignation and flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years during her second stint and ruled for 20 of the last 30 years.

Her departure came after weeks of deadly unrest led by student protests against a controversial civil service quota system.

The mass protests, which began in early July, were initially peaceful demands from university students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs.

These quotas reserved a third of the positions for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war, a policy seen by critics as favoring loyalists of Hasina's ruling party, the Awami League.

The situation escalated into a large-scale anti-government movement, resulting in nearly 100 deaths and thousands of injuries as the military enforced a curfew and blocked internet access.

Following the violent crackdown, Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5, 2024. Her resignation was met with jubilant crowds who stormed her opulent residence, looting furniture and TVs.

The streets of Dhaka, the capital, remained quiet the next day, with many schools and businesses still closed. Garment factories, a mainstay of the economy, also remained shuttered.

President Shahabuddin's decision to dissolve parliament came after meetings with defense forces, political leaders, student leaders, and civil society representatives.

The president's office also announced the release of opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister and long-time rival of Hasina, from house arrest.

Student leaders, who played a pivotal role in the protests, have insisted they will not accept a military-led government. They have proposed Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government, a suggestion Yunus has reportedly agreed to.

Yunus, known for his work with Grameen Bank, described the day of Hasina's resignation as "the second liberation day" for Bangladesh.

The protests were fueled by economic struggles, including costly imports and inflation, despite years of strong growth driven by the garment industry.

The government had sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address these issues. Hasina's increasingly authoritarian rule, marked by the jailing of many political foes, further exacerbated public discontent.

As Bangladesh moves towards forming an interim government and holding new elections, the student leaders have urged restraint to prevent sectarian attacks on minority groups, including Hindu temples, which could undermine their movement.

The international community, including India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, has called for dialogue and restraint to defuse the situation.