The past week was tumultuous for Bangladesh, but it culminated in the protesters succeeding in achieving their core objective – the resignation of the longstanding premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed. Following her ouster, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, took charge of the interim government at the insistence of the protestors.
Following his swearing-in as the Chief Advisor to the Government of Bangladesh, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was quick to congratulate the dignitary and to accord him well wishes, besides expressing a desire for close collaboration with the new setup.
The chaos in Bangladesh was a source of concern for Pakistan, given that both sides have strong economic linkages. Bangladesh is the largest trading partner of Pakistan in the region, with bilateral trade hovering around $900 million per annum. Moreover, Pakistan has a sizeable Bengali community and fraternal ties between the countries make stability in Bangladesh a shared concern for both sides.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview with a private news channel a day earlier, saw this as an opportunity for a fresh start. He believed that the decisions taken during this time can help usher in a new era of goodwill for both Pakistan and Bangladesh. He further said that Pakistan can work on mending its ties with the nation and build a positive relationship.
Separately, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry also welcomed the establishment of the new political setup and reiterated its stance of staying aloof from interference in the domestic matters of other countries. However, Beijing made it clear that it respect the decision taken by the people and highlighted the importance of bilateral relations between both sides. China also expressed its desire to “promote exchanges and cooperation” with Bangladesh in multiple domains.
The change of command at the helm of Bangladesh’s affairs attracted widespread regional attention. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also at the forefront of congratulating Mr. Yunus for assuming charge of the state.
In a post on X, he hoped that normalcy would return to the state, and minorities, including the Hindus, would be protected. He further expressed India’s commitment to pursuing peace in Bangladesh.
What makes the Indian premier’s message unique is the fact that he explicitly expressed concern for the safety of Hindus, besides other minorities in Bangladesh. While his administration had spoken about this generally, Mr. Modi explicitly highlighted the Hindu community as a potential victim.
It is worth mentioning here that Ms Hasina’s resignation came amid heightened violence in Bangladesh. By the time the longstanding premier had resigned, approximately 400 people had died in the clashes between the government and the people while thousands of others had been injured. As the government’s crackdown on the protestors intensified, there were concerns abroad that the situation might spiral out of control.
Following Ms Hasina’s ouster, the international community called for peace in the country. Considering the history of military involvement in politics in Bangladesh, there were concerns about the future of democracy. However, these concerns were put to rest when Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman stepped up amidst the tensions and announced the establishment of an interim government to restore peace. Following his announcement, Mr Yunus, on the insistence of the people, returned from Paris to take charge.