Bangladesh is reeling from violence that has lasted for days as the protestors went onto the streets, and vandalized government buildings, cars and other properties protesting against quota reform; hence, Hasina ordered a military crackdown with orders to shoot at sight. At least 200 people are dead and thousands more have been injured because of pellet blinded eyes among other things.
In an exclusive interview with Parami News from Paris Muhammad Yunus Nobel Laureate and Founder Grameen Bank appealed to international community more specifically India to make an effort of reaching out to PM Hasina asking her to calm down.
Can you give us a sense of what you understand about what is happening in Bangladesh? It appears that the situation is under control after the new decision made by the Appellate Court…
Well it’s not something that happened after I came here [to Paris, as special guest for Olympics ceremony]. I was there. I was in Dhaka where there was a curfew and so we had to go through check points manned by army soldiers before catching our flight. The issue is that this government thinks they are foreigners invading Bangladesh… therefore mobilizes Army and paramilitary forces to suppress demonstrators using bullets.
They are willing to beat them but not establish order. So why did it happen? Why did they bring all those people? Are they some foreign powers shooting locals with bullets? These are your own citizens university students young people from best families ready run country! So kill them randomly like they are another country invading force! Shoot them on sight!
That’s how it looks like in Bangladesh today and I have been calling on World leaders if it can be stopped or not. Watching millions of my fellow Bangladeshis living in terror frightens me beyond imagination. If democracy doesn’t put human life first then nothing else matters. Democracy is all about protecting people i.e., every person regardless of their religion, political opinion or any other differences of opinion.
When a citizen is about to kill another person the state’s first responsibility is to save the person under attack. The killing of the attacker should always be the last option and government of Bangladesh did it first. No one should think they were there to kill somebody. It might be an unpalatable demand for the Government but that does not authorize its killing by gun.
How exactly would you like them to act if you are calling on the international community, or United Nations?
I didn’t look forward for any formal response; I expected that they would use their informal relations, informal channels of communication to our leaders, so as let them know that we are making serious departure from democratic norms. If you have friends, just pick up your mobile and say “What’s going on there?” Let us keep this thing cool like what friends do for their fellows; this will save some lives.
Leaders have their friends with whom they can make amends whenever situation gets tough. What other uses are friends if not for giving proper advice when it’s most needed?
India and Bangladesh have been friendly neighbors since time immemorial. India has already made a statement saying, this is the internal matter of Bangladesh.
The public figure may say this in public but he can still use friendship privately. PMs should chat if they see something going wrong.
There is still the dream of SAARC We assist each other. We help one another get out of tight spots on a daily basis. There are ties of human nature among us. When something happens in one country it can also happen to another country easily.
What we are seeing here is that innocent people are being killed by the police, para military and army. This situation is quite strange. Why the need for army to control student demonstration? In total contradiction to what you have just said, now there is an enemy within; who’s that enemy? Identify them and deal with them not through killing students, which means democracy and rule of law are no more working in a democratic state.
Specifically, regarding 1971 quota protests concerns raised in India show that underlying sentiment is anti-India. Do you think so far?
That would be carrying imagination too far beyond its boundaries. No aspect of Quota movement has anything to do with Bangladesh’s relationship with India at all.The issue revolves around democracy, rule of law, human rights and role of judiciary. People have right to express their views without being killed by government.
You’re objecting how the protests were handled The Hasina government says that it was themselves who turned violent on protesters as they were picketing police posts…
When someone breaks a law there are procedures on how they need to be dealt with. It does not mean they have to kill randomly. This is not the first case where governments have had to deal with demonstrations. We see police shooting innocent students raising their hands and shot at close range because they know how to shoot them dead. That’s what we see.
If demonstrators behave disorderly there are standard procedures to handle such situations.. Law enforcement system and practice of democracy in Bangladesh have gone haywire; let’s not pretend it is not. We are in SAARC. We are neighbors. Let all media come and witness. The first thing they did was to shut down everything so that they can do things at night, so that nobody can see them from outside or even inside. Why are they scared of their own people?
The students have sent out a list of their demands, including the request for Prime Minister Hasina to apologize for calling them Razakars (traitors), and the resignation of ministers.
These demands are by students and government should respond on those things. That’s not how it is happening.
These January 2024 elections were won by Prime Minister Hasina. Is it undemocratic to ask for resignations?
We believe in democracy and we are committed to remain democratic. Whether you are elected afresh, elected or unelected, or you abuse your position without people’s consent, makes no difference in a democracy The government has a duty of protecting the people not murdering them.
And just because someone is an opposition member can never be the reason why he should be taken away from his place and arrested. An imaginary offense could be concocted against him by the state. He therefore deserves to be jailed for that. These are not laws. Some process guided by democratic norms must exist.
Which way will these demonstrations go?
Otherwise you go back to the people if democracies fail so that they give authority again, there is no credibility of any government right now.
Should the government step down according to you?
Do what has always been done during such occurrences within a democratic framework Democracy solved all things. I have nothing else to say on that matter.”
What can you do about this situation?
That is the role I’m playing right now; explaining the desirability of democracy [in Bangladesh].
The government has preferred over 200 charges against you. Convictions have happened under labour laws and two new cases filed against me as well as my family members for their alleged involvement in corruption related issues.. Is the fight with PM Hasina personal?
These cases are also another example of failed rule-based society/failed rule-based order/rule failures/rule of law failure. They accuse me of stealing money from my own organization The charges levelled against me by these state organs include embezzlement, forgery and money laundering Cases brought against me by government All those stories were cooked up Many international human rights organizations have said those charges were baseless That’s simply meant to humiliate me This is another fabricated case for labor law violation in which I am already serving six month’s imprisonment in another fake case initiated by the state.
What do you think can bring Bangladesh back from this point, back to the norms of democracy that you say has failed?
Get mandate of the people through a fair and free election. That’s all. Democracy solves problems by taking instructions from people because the country belongs to them not just a few persons around government.
Do you suggest holding elections again?
Of course an election is always the final solution for any political problem. When things don’t work out, they should be returned to their owners; it means they have to go back to people who own them. It must be real voting but not of sorcerers.
Do you think the situation in terms of violence is under control now, and could protests return now that quotas have been slashed down by the appellate court?
The government states [it is under control] Cessation does not mean solution to basic political problems. There might be a temporary pause but once stopped politically it runs fast enough to start at any second Today what happens in Bangladesh may happen tomorrow in India. If today keep silent, then tomorrow such day will come for India, Nepal, Pakistan or other SAARC countries easily
