Bangladesh in Turmoil: Chief Justice and Central Bank Governor Resign Amid Student Protests

DHAKA: Bangladesh is witnessing significant political upheaval as both the chief justice and the central bank governor have resigned amid escalating student protests that have already forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country.

Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan tendered his resignation on Saturday, according to law ministry adviser Asif Nazrul, who announced the decision in a Facebook video post. The resignation followed warnings from student protesters of “dire consequences” if Hassan did not step down.

“It’s not possible anymore for me to perform the duty,” Hassan stated, adding, “Therefore, I have decided to resign.” Appointed just last year, Hassan had previously overseen a controversial war crimes tribunal that ordered the execution of several of Hasina’s political opponents, a move that drew widespread criticism. His brother also served as a long-time secretary to Hasina.

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Hassan’s resignation came after hundreds of protesters gathered outside the court, demanding that he and other judges step down by early afternoon. Student protest leader Asif Nazrul urged demonstrators to remain peaceful, cautioning, “No one should do anything that pits the Supreme Court against the mass uprising of the students and the people.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder has also submitted his resignation, although the finance ministry has not yet accepted it due to the critical nature of his position, according to finance ministry adviser Salehuddin Ahmed. Talukder’s resignation follows the forced resignations of four deputy governors earlier in the week, after around 300 to 400 bank officials protested against alleged corruption among top officials.

The vice chancellor of Dhaka University, A.S.M. Maksud Kamal, has also resigned, the university confirmed. Dhaka University has been a focal point of the deadly protests that initially erupted in July over quotas in government jobs before evolving into a broader movement demanding the ouster of Hasina.

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Sheikh Hasina has been in New Delhi since Monday, seeking refuge following an uprising that has claimed the lives of approximately 300 people, many of whom were students. Her departure marks the end of her 15-year rule over the South Asian nation of 170 million people. In the aftermath, Bangladesh has witnessed a significant reshuffle in its security apparatus, including the appointment of a new police chief, a new head of the technical intelligence monitoring agency, and changes among senior army officials.

Call for Religious Unity by Interim Leader Muhammad Yunus

As the country grapples with this crisis, Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has called for religious unity. On Saturday, he made an emotional appeal after embracing the grieving mother of Abu Sayeed, a student shot dead by police, whose death has become a rallying point for the mass protests that led to Hasina’s ouster.

Yunus, who returned from Europe to lead the temporary administration, faces the monumental task of restoring order and enacting democratic reforms. “Our responsibility is to build a new Bangladesh,” Yunus told reporters, emphasizing the need for unity across religious lines.

Reprisal attacks against the country’s Hindu minority since Hasina’s toppling have raised concerns both domestically and in neighboring India. During his visit to the northern city of Rangpur, Yunus invoked the memory of Abu Sayeed, urging the nation to stand together. “Don’t differentiate by religion,” Yunus said, adding, “Abu Sayeed is now in every home. The way he stood, we have to do the same. There are no differences in Abu Sayeed’s Bangladesh.”

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Abu Sayeed, 25, was killed on July 16 during a police crackdown on student-led protests against Hasina’s government. His mother wept as she clung to Yunus, who had come to pay his respects alongside members of the new “advisory” cabinet now administering the country. Among them was Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old sociology graduate and key protest leader, who also wept by Yunus’s side.