Bangladesh marks anniversary of Hasina's ouster with pledges for a stronger democracy
Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his past work developing microcredit markets, spoke as the nation commemorated the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to neighboring India. But the event was held amid growing frustration over the interim administration's failure to restore order and bring political bickering under control.
Yunus, flanked by senior leaders of major political parties, announced a road map aimed at national unity, democratic reforms and inclusive governance. A student group that led the anti-Hasina movement had formed a new political party, National Citizen Party, and campaigned for the declaration.
Senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and the Jamaat-e-Islami party were present Tuesday. Zia is Hasina's archrival, and her party is the main contender for power in the next election, expected early next year.
The Yunus-led administration has banned the former ruling party, which had governed Bangladesh for 15 years since 2009. Hasina remains in exile. She faces trial for crimes against humanity over the hundreds of deaths during the student-led uprising.
On Tuesday, leaders of the major political parties failed to agree on an exact schedule for the election. Yunus had said it would be held in April, but Zia's party wants it in February. The Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party say they have no objection to giving Yunus more time.
The presence of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, the country's largest Islamist party, was especially visible Tuesday on the streets of the capital, Dhaka. The supporters of its student wing carried the flags of Bangladesh and Palestine.
Bangladesh is at a crossroads, with bickering political parties struggling to find a way forward with inclusive politics. The rise of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist forces has drawn attention since Hasina's ouster.
Yunus has promised an internationally acceptable election, but his critics say the election could be questionable without the Awami League party as it still has a significant support base.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thousands in the Ivory Coast protest the exclusion of opposition leaders from election
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Thousands of Ivorians took to the streets in Abidjan, the capital of the West African nation, to protest against the exclusion of opposition leaders from the upcoming presidential election. Ivory Coast, a nation of 32 million that is the biggest economy of francophone West Africa, is due to hold a presidential vote in October. Earlier this year four main opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, were barred from running by the electoral commission. Protesters gathered Saturday morning in Yopougon, a densely populated suburb of the capital Abidjan, holding banners with messages such as: 'Enough is enough!' and 'No true democracy without true justice." Gbagbo and Thiam joined forces earlier this year to challenge incumbent President Alassane Ouattara. The 83-year-old leader announced last month that he would seek a fourth presidential term. His candidacy is contested after he changed the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits. 'We are millions saying YES to Gbagbo and Thiam" said another banner in the crowd. 'We don't want a fourth term, and we want the electoral roll revised, that's what we are asking for," said Sagesse Divine, an activist who participated in Saturday's march. "We want all candidates' names included, and we want to go to the elections in peace, that's all we want.' There was no immediate comments from Ivorian authorities. Thiam, president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote in April. Seen as Ouattara's main rival, he has been barred from running on the grounds that he was still a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy, even though he later renounced his French nationality. Ivorian law bans dual nationals from running for president. Elections in Ivory Coast have usually been fraught with tension and violence. When Ouattara announced his bid for a third term, several people were killed in election violence. Ouattara is the latest among a growing number of leaders in West Africa who remain in power by changing constitutional term limits. Ouattara justified his decision to run again by saying that the Ivory Coast is facing unprecedented security, economic and monetary challenges that require experience to manage them effectively. Over the past decade, groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been spreading from the Sahel region into wealthier West African coastal states, such as Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Thousands in the Ivory Coast protest the exclusion of opposition leaders from election
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Thousands of Ivorians took to the streets in Abidjan, the capital of the West African nation, to protest against the exclusion of opposition leaders from the upcoming presidential election. Ivory Coast , a nation of 32 million that is the biggest economy of francophone West Africa, is due to hold a presidential vote in October. Earlier this year four main opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, were barred from running by the electoral commission. Protesters gathered Saturday morning in Yopougon, a densely populated suburb of the capital Abidjan, holding banners with messages such as: 'Enough is enough!' and 'No true democracy without true justice.' Gbagbo and Thiam joined forces earlier this year to challenge incumbent President Alassane Ouattara . The 83-year-old leader announced last month that he would seek a fourth presidential term. His candidacy is contested after he changed the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits. 'We are millions saying YES to Gbagbo and Thiam' said another banner in the crowd. 'We don't want a fourth term, and we want the electoral roll revised, that's what we are asking for,' said Sagesse Divine, an activist who participated in Saturday's march. 'We want all candidates' names included, and we want to go to the elections in peace, that's all we want.' There was no immediate comments from Ivorian authorities. Thiam, president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote in April. Seen as Ouattara's main rival, he has been barred from running on the grounds that he was still a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy, even though he later renounced his French nationality. Ivorian law bans dual nationals from running for president. Elections in Ivory Coast have usually been fraught with tension and violence. When Ouattara announced his bid for a third term, several people were killed in election violence. Ouattara is the latest among a growing number of leaders in West Africa who remain in power by changing constitutional term limits. Ouattara justified his decision to run again by saying that the Ivory Coast is facing unprecedented security, economic and monetary challenges that require experience to manage them effectively. Over the past decade, groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been spreading from the Sahel region into wealthier West African coastal states, such as Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Thousands in the Ivory Coast protest the exclusion of opposition leaders from election
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Thousands of Ivorians took to the streets in Abidjan, the capital of the West African nation, to protest against the exclusion of opposition leaders from the upcoming presidential election. Ivory Coast, a nation of 32 million that is the biggest economy of francophone West Africa, is due to hold a presidential vote in October. Earlier this year four main opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, were barred from running by the electoral commission. Protesters gathered Saturday morning in Yopougon, a densely populated suburb of the capital Abidjan, holding banners with messages such as: 'Enough is enough!' and 'No true democracy without true justice.' Gbagbo and Thiam joined forces earlier this year to challenge incumbent President Alassane Ouattara. The 83-year-old leader announced last month that he would seek a fourth presidential term. His candidacy is contested after he changed the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits. 'We are millions saying YES to Gbagbo and Thiam' said another banner in the crowd. 'We don't want a fourth term, and we want the electoral roll revised, that's what we are asking for,' said Sagesse Divine, an activist who participated in Saturday's march. 'We want all candidates' names included, and we want to go to the elections in peace, that's all we want.' There was no immediate comments from Ivorian authorities. Thiam, president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote in April. Seen as Ouattara's main rival, he has been barred from running on the grounds that he was still a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy, even though he later renounced his French nationality. Ivorian law bans dual nationals from running for president. Elections in Ivory Coast have usually been fraught with tension and violence. When Ouattara announced his bid for a third term, several people were killed in election violence. Ouattara is the latest among a growing number of leaders in West Africa who remain in power by changing constitutional term limits. Ouattara justified his decision to run again by saying that the Ivory Coast is facing unprecedented security, economic and monetary challenges that require experience to manage them effectively. Over the past decade, groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been spreading from the Sahel region into wealthier West African coastal states, such as Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin.
