Can right-wing groups gain an upper hand in Bangladesh?
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.