Can Peace Prize winner Yunus save Bangladesh? – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus (84) felt called when students called. They asked him to return from his overseas trip and lead a Transitional Government.

– I am doing this because the young people of this country want it and I want to help them, Yunus told reporters, according to the BBC.

The army and the country’s president also trust Yunus.

– I believe he will allow us to experience a beautiful democratic process, Army Commander Waqq Uzzzaman said, according to Al Jazeera.

But can the economist solve the many challenges facing the country?

The mission is glorious, but by no means easy.

Chaotic situation

Bangladeshi protesters chased Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to her doorstep. She fled to India on August 5.

Three days later, when Yunus arrived in Dhaka, he said Bangladesh had gained its second independence.

– This is a revolution, a student-led revolution, Yunus said.

Revolutions are rarely smooth sailing.

The country was plunged into chaos for days after Hasina disappeared.

Anger at fifteen years of suppressing all opposition was unleashed. Revenge took over.

People who traditionally supported Hasina’s regime were spared.

Of particular importance, Hindus and other minorities were subjected to violent attacks. Temples and private homes were set on fire.

Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, but strong religious and cultural differences have persisted ever since.

A divided country must unite.

Run and hide

The lawlessness was exacerbated by the police’s flight and hiding.

The police responded with heavy-handed tactics against the protesters and there was a fear of lynching.

Trust has been lost and must be regained because the police have been put into the pocket of the government.

– Arild Engelsen, professor of South Asian studies at the University of London The same applies to the courts and the civil service, explains Ruud.

Work has already begun to separate these institutions and make them independent.

That won’t happen by dumping one political party and bringing in another.

The largest opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has also been criticized for corruption and using all means to maintain power.

Youth unemployment

One of the most important tasks of the transitional government will be to resolve the economic crisis.

Yunus carries a lot of weight here.

He and the “village bank” he founded, Grameen Bank, helped millions of farmers escape poverty by providing small loans to them.

For this work, the economics professor and the bank were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

– As an economist with a long background in banking and microfinance, Yunus is a good choice. He is widely respected both nationally and internationally, Engelsen Ruud told NRK.

Engelson Luther explained that the forces he was fighting against were still enormous.

Bangladesh is characterized by the international contours caused by the war in Ukraine, the decline in demand from Europe and the high prices of oil and gas

In addition, the country’s important textile exports face competition from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Kenya.

– This is a trend that Yunus can do nothing about. In addition, the country’s banking system is weak and was also the subject of severe corruption under the previous regime, Engelson Rude said.

Easy to get angry

Yunus himself has also come under Hasina’s wrath.

The year after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the economist considered founding a political party.

Hasina was not too happy about this.

Yunus was repeatedly accused of lawlessness and corruption. He was eventually convicted of violating the country’s labor laws.

The verdict was considered politically motivated and was immediately rescinded after Hasina’s disappearance.

The students reportedly wanted Yunus because he was seen as a unifying figure with no party affiliation and had good international connections.

Bangladesh’s future depends on doing well.

– The country depends on being a well-functioning society, including whether the United Nations will continue to fund the Bangladesh peacekeeping force. Engelson Rudd explained that this is an important source of income for the army and individual officers, and therefore has great political significance for creating peace in the country.

Suppressed by various forces

The professor worries that Yunus is politically naive.

– He is a banker, the head of a large development organization and a man of moral integrity. However, he presented himself as the savior of the country in 2007, but soon had to throw away his hand because he was arrested.

Bangladeshi politics is a tough arena and many of the activists in it are seasoned players.

Yunus is now under pressure from various forces and from the students who put him in power.

– It will be a difficult balancing act for Yunus to achieve this goal. The advantage, the professor said, is that he has strong support in civil society, which is mainly composed of the urban middle class, who have a lot to say.

– What happens if he doesn’t complete the task?

– What could go wrong is that there is no agreement on a way forward following the election. Engelson Rudd said disagreements over the path forward could plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.

Bloody street fight

Yunus had to negotiate with three key groups with conflicting interests:

• Sheikh Hasina’s party wants to wait for the elections as long as possible to make a decision.
• The BNP and Islamists want elections to be held soon as they are now in a good position to win.
• Students do not want any traditional party to be in power and want time to create something new.

– Eventually we will have a power vacuum which will lead to chaos. Bangladesh has a history of bloody street fighting. Engelson-Luther said if the politicians don’t do this, the military will be able to take power.

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