President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the country’s parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and weeks of deadly civil unrest, as reported by local news on Tuesday based on a press release from the president’s office.
According to local media, President Shahabuddin took the decision to dissolve the parliament following a meeting with armed forces chiefs, political leaders, civil society representatives, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The press release also announced the release of all individuals who were arrested during the protests that took place from July 1 to August, including the release of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia. Zia, a former prime minister and political rival to Hasina, was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2018 for corruption.
The dissolution of parliament came just one day after Hasina’s resignation amid weeks of nationwide protests against government job quotas. The quota system, which reserves 30 percent of government jobs for Bangladesh Liberation War veterans and their descendants, was reinstated by Bangladesh’s High Court in July after having been suspended in 2018. This reinstatement led to protests from students who viewed the system as discriminatory and demanded its reform.
The protests quickly escalated into violent civil unrest, resulting in 147 confirmed deaths and extensive damage to government infrastructure. The country’s home minister reported significant fatalities and property damage. In response, the government imposed a nationwide curfew and suspended internet services for 11 days.
Following the unrest, the Bangladesh Supreme Court overturned the High Court’s decision, reducing the quota to seven percent of government positions, with five percent reserved for liberation war veterans and their descendants. Nonetheless, activist student groups continued their protests, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina.
Continued clashes between protesters and pro-government supporters resulted in an additional 93 deaths. Ultimately, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday and fled to India after protesters stormed her residence in Dhaka. On the same day, the Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced the formation of an interim government tasked with organizing elections within 90 days, as mandated by the constitution of Bangladesh.
For full details, visit the original report on JURIST.