Dhaka: Bangladesh is going through a political period like never before. When Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus stepped in as interim leader in August 2024, the nation was reeling from a bloody uprising that toppled long-time ruler Sheikh Hasina and left over 1,400 dead. His task was to stabilise the country, ensure credible elections and lay the groundwork for reforms to prevent a return to an alleged authoritarian rule.
His appointment was not only about politics, it was about moral authority at a moment when Bangladesh teetered on the edge. Student leaders who led the uprising sought someone acceptable to all factions, someone with global stature who could reassure investors while managing a fragile domestic situation. Initially reluctant, Yunus accepted the role out of a sense of duty and stepped into the eye of a storm.
Analysts said his goal of balancing power across institutions was “ambitious” and faced resistance from strong political and bureaucratic forces. Many observers argued that limited support from political parties and officials curtailed his ability to implement deeper structural changes.
Supporters of Yunus, particularly student leaders who had propelled the uprising, highlighted his international reputation as an economist and his domestic record as a civil society leader. They saw him as a person acceptable to all sides at a time of crisis, capable of reassuring global investors and partners while addressing the country’s institutional collapse.
Initially reluctant, he accepted the role and stepped into the eye of a storm. Political experts said that his leadership during this period provided moral authority, even as the interim government faced internal resistance, including reservations within the military.
During his 18-month tenure, he oversaw Bangladesh’s interim government as a chief adviser. Operating without an elected parliament, his administration created inquiry commissions to investigate alleged abuses under Hasina’s rule, documenting extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and arrests of critics. Long criticised for systemic repression, the judiciary initiated trials against politicians, military officers and security personnel implicated in these alleged abuses.
One of Yunus’s most notable interventions addressed enforced disappearances and secret detentions. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances verified more than 1,500 cases, identifying hundreds of missing or deceased individuals, many of whom were linked to the police, paramilitary units and intelligence agencies.
Experts credited Yunus with confronting these issues openly and visiting suspected detention sites, despite institutional resistance.
The interim government also collaborated with the United Nations Human Rights Office, which confirmed excessive use of force by security personnel during the 2024 uprising, providing international weight to the investigation’s findings.
Political analysts observed that bureaucratic “reforms” faced structural limits. While Yunus attempted to confront entrenched administrative power, his unelected status constrained the speed and scope of reforms. Nonetheless, his government managed to stabilise key macroeconomic indicators, though household-level distress, unemployment and stagnant wages continued to remain challenges.
In an unprecedented move, he linked major reform plans to the February 12 elections, letting voters approve them in a nationwide referendum. Supporters said the reforms were needed to change courts, security forces and other systems that allegedly allowed past abuses. They added that this process would give the changes legitimacy.
However, Bangladesh’s political parties are divided on Yunus’s legacy. While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acknowledged his role in stabilising the country, it questioned the authority of an unelected government to implement wide-reaching reforms.
Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP) and its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, emphasised the need for deeper institutional changes before an election could be held.
Among the student leaders and citizens who had supported Yunus, opinions blend respect with disappointment. Many recognised his global achievements and efforts to deliver justice for victims of the 2024 uprising, while explaining the constraints he faced domestically.
Even as Bangladesh approaches the February 12 elections, his legacy is a subject of debate. Analysts suggested that his role in stabilising the nation and initiating reforms, even within an interim mandate, will be a defining chapter in the country’s political history.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
