Bangladesh | Students pulling the strings, as Home Advisor's ouster proves

The Home Advisor’s post is akin to that of Home Minister in an elected government.

Pro-Hasina statements

Sakhawat’s dismissal came barely three days after his appointment in the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government backed by the army after Sheikh Hasina’s forced resignation from the Prime Minister’s post on August 5.

He was removed on the advice of the students who felt he was making unnecessary statements in public, particularly in rehabilitating Hasina’s Awami League which is currently seen in Bangladesh as an anti-people party that was used by the former prime minister to stamp out dissent and prolong her illegal stay in power.

The dismissal of the Home Advisor came amid the first phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yunus, where the stress was laid on ensuring the safety of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh, and on a commitment to maintain strong and cooperative bilateral relations between the two nations.

Yunus’ assurance to Modi

According to an official statement, Modi reaffirmed India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He also emphasised on India’s commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives.

Modi also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh.

Yunus assured Modi that the interim government would prioritise the protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh.

They also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the respective national priorities.

Why students play a key role

But the dismissal of Sakhawat from the key post on the advice of students should be noted by the Indian establishment since they are likely to play an important role in most of the key issues related to India-Bangladesh relations in future.

Sakhawat was replaced as home adviser by Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Friday (August 16) night, hours after four new advisers were sworn in.

He has now been given the charge of the textiles and jute ministry as the interim government redistributed the portfolios of eight advisers. There are now 21 advisors in Yunus’ interim cabinet, including two student leaders.

Criticism against Sakhawat

Local media reported that a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement criticised him for some comments which were supported by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its associate bodies who demanded his resignation.

Sakhawat reportedly had warned all political parties by saying, “Now, if you think you'll take control of the markets and resort to extortion, you can go ahead and do it for a while. But I have requested the army chief to break your legs.”

However, what was of serious concern to the students and many of the political opponents of Hasina was reports that Sakhawat had advised Awami League leaders not to do anything that would endanger their lives. Instead, he asked them to reorganise themselves with new faces, hinting that they should start looking beyond Hasina and her family.

But this did not go down well with the students and they decided to get rid of Sakhawat from the home advisor’s post.

Students more powerful than Yunus?

Hasnat Abdullah, one of the leading figures of the student protests, told a gathering, “We have seen the advisers talking about rehabilitating the murderers (hinting at Hasina and other Awami League leaders). We want to remind those advisers that you have come to power through the student-people uprising and we will not hesitate to oust you the way we made you advisers," he had said.

Yunus, a Nobel laureate and a respected economist for his successful work in micro-finance in Bangladesh, was brought in by the army to provide stability and assure the foreign investors that the country was on its path to recovery and normalcy after Hasina resigned, ending her 15-year rule and fled to India.

But observers in Dhaka point out that in the changed circumstances, the students who brought about the ‘second liberation’ in Bangladesh by throwing out Hasina from power by leading a people’s movement, are now an important and respected force in the country.

Marginalisation of Awami League  

The students’ political maturity and ability to build a structure that did not crumble even when key leaders were arrested by the police during the protests showed they were capable of playing a key role in Bangladesh’s future.

Former Bangladeshi diplomat M Humayun Kabir, now a leading commentator in the country observed, “The students are now in the driving seat and this new reality is being missed by most outsiders.”

An important political agenda of the students is the marginalisation of the Awami League. They have forced the new regime from observing August 15 as a day of national tragedy and a holiday. On this day, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh to freedom in 1971 was gunned down with most of his family in a military coup in 1975.

Attempts at scripting new history

Under Hasina’s rule this was observed as a day of national tragedy. Traditionally, Awami League leaders and party workers would congregate before Mujib’s house in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi and pledge to continue their fight against those who were against the interest of Bangladesh, particularly those who are still soft on Pakistan.

But this year, the students picketed the area and in the morning on August 15 when some Awami League supporters tried to gather there to pay homage to Mujib, they were chased out.

The students and many political opponents of the Awami League believe that Hasina is trying to regroup her organisation from New Delhi and return to Bangladesh with India’s support.

This was a concern that the advisor on foreign affairs in the interim government, Touhid Hossain told Indian High Commissioner Pranay Varma when they met in Dhaka recently.

Therefore, in most of its future dealing with the new regime in Bangladesh, India will have to keep both the students and the people’s sensitivity in mind.