An interim government has taken charge in Bangladesh following former PM Sheikh Hasina's abrupt ouster. Many groups are now vying for control, but can Islamists emerge as a potent force?
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00:00After weeks of violent protests which forced PM Sheikh Hasina to resign, Bangladesh appears
00:07to be at a crossroads.
00:08While many citizens are hopeful that the new interim government headed by Nobel laureate
00:14Muhammad Yunus would stabilise the Muslim-majority country, some are cautious.
00:19Although the student-led protests against a controversial Job Quota scheme have ushered
00:23in a new young leadership, the alleged role of some Islamist groups in the upheaval has
00:29raised some eyebrows.
00:30There are reports of violence against religious minorities by angry mobs.
01:29After the exit of Hasina, who ruled the country for 15 years, there appears to be a power
01:35vacuum.
01:36Who is likely to claim this space?
01:39Is there a chance now for right-wing Islamist groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the
01:44main allies of the key opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, to resurrect
01:49itself in Bangladeshi politics?
01:59After weeks of protests against the PM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh appears to be at a crossroads.
02:06While many citizens are hopeful that the new interim government headed by Nobel laureate
02:10Muhammad Yunus would stabilise the Muslim-majority country, Bangladesh appears to be at a crossroads.
02:13After weeks of protests against the PM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh now appears to be at a
02:18crossroads.
02:19Who is likely to claim this space?
02:20Is there a chance now for right-wing Islamist groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the
02:21main allies of the key opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, to resurrect
02:22itself in Bangladeshi politics?
02:23After weeks of protests against the PM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh now appears to be at a
02:24crossroads.
02:25Who is likely to claim this space?
02:26After weeks of protests against the PM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh now appears to be at a
02:27crossroads.
02:28Who is likely to claim this space?
02:29Is there a chance now for right-wing Islamist groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the
02:30main allies of the key opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, to resurrect
02:31itself in Bangladeshi politics?
02:32After weeks of protests against the PM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh now appears to be at a
02:33crossroads.
02:34Who is likely to claim this space?
02:35Is there a chance now for right-wing Islamist groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the
02:36main allies of the key opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, to resurrect
02:37itself in Bangladeshi politics?
02:38After weeks of protests against the PM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh now appears to be at a
02:39crossroads.
02:40Who is likely to claim this space?
02:41the PM Sheikh Hasina's son sees Pakistan's hand behind his mother's downfall.
03:11Historically, the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh has maintained close relations with the Pakistani
03:37faction of the movement.
03:39The Jamaat campaigned against the independence of East Pakistan, today's Bangladesh, from
03:44then West Pakistan, in 1971.
03:48It was also against Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was Hasina's father.
03:54During Hasina's 15-year-long rule, the Jamaat faced a severe crackdown.
03:59It is important to note that during the recent mass protests, Hasina allegedly dubbed the
04:04student leaders the Razakars, meaning those who supported Pakistan during the 1971 independence
04:11war.
04:12But Joy believes his mother's statement was taken out of context.
04:16You see, my mother made a statement that we don't want families of Rajakars getting government
04:23jobs.
04:24So, she was trying to explain the justification for the quota.
04:29You see, this whole thing was clearly incited because then some groups started spreading
04:34that she had called the students Rajakars.
04:37That is not what she said at all.
04:39But with Hasina's ouster, Islamist groups will try to gain ground.
04:43Another reason is anti-India sentiment amongst sections of Bangladeshi society, which see
04:49India as an ally of the former Prime Minister.
04:53Sheikh Hasina fled to India after resigning and remains in an undisclosed location in
04:58the country.
04:59Let us not undermine or underestimate the power and patriotism of the Bangladeshis.
05:06They will protect their country.
05:08So, this kind of understanding is going to have an impact with respect to what will be
05:13the relation between India and Bangladesh.
05:16For 15 years, unqualified support to an autocratic regime without any peep on human rights situation,
05:24knowingly the Bangladesh is going down the drain in terms of its democracy.
05:29India needs to understand they made a mistake.
05:32Analyst Lutfa believes it is time for Bangladesh to break away from its past and start anew.
05:39Now with the biggest rival of these Islamist political parties gone, or maybe not completely
05:47gone, like they are kind of in a sort of dormant state at the moment or hiding.
05:53So, I think the young generations, they did not do this huge movement to bring one party
06:04replacing the others.
06:05They want a fundamental change of the way politics is done.
06:09And they are proposing for, you know, revision of the constitution.
06:14They are proposing for many revolutionary changes in the way the judiciary and other
06:21institutional states, missionaries work.