Bangladeshi soldier stands guard at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. File
| Photo Credit: AFP
Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan resigned on Saturday amid protests by students who demanded his resignation as well as a restructuring of the country’s judiciary.
“Our Chief Justice has resigned. His resignation letter has already reached the Law Ministry. We will send it to the President without delay for taking necessary measures,” Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul said in a video message on Saturday.
The making of the Bangladesh revolt
Two Appellate Division judges, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Kashefa Hussain, also resigned following the Chief Justice’s resignation, according to Supreme Court sources. Their resignation letters were sent on Saturday afternoon.
Earlier, a full court meeting of the Supreme Court got cancelled as students had given a two-hour ultimatum for the resignation of the Chief Justice and other justices of the Appellate Division, who they said were loyal to the Awami League.
Not just in the judiciary, key position holders in other sectors have also begun resigning. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor A.S.M. Maksud Kamal, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed, and Bangla Academy Director-General Md Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari also resigned from their positions on Saturday.
Thousands of protesters, including students and members of the Hindu community, staged a demonstration at Shahbagh in Dhaka for the second consecutive day, demanding safety.
The protesters blocked the Shahbagh intersection from around 3 p.m., carrying banners and posters. They warned that if immediate measures were not taken to stop the persecution of Hindus, they will initiate continuous protest programmes.
205 cases of attacks
According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, at least 205 incidents of attacks have occurred across 52 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5.
Rana Dasgupta, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, told The Hindu that some of those whose homes were attacked may be directly involved in Awami League politics, but 98% are ordinary Hindus.
Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government, condemned these acts, calling them “heinous”. In a session with students at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur on Saturday, he told the students: “Are they not the people of this country? You have been able to save the country; can’t you save some families?” He urged the students to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.
Mr. Yunus visited Rangpur to offer his condolences to the parents of Abu Sayeed, the first student killed in police firing during the recent student protests.
Though the Yunus-led interim government has taken office, the duration of its tenure has not yet been announced.
Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Nazrul said the interim government would remain in power for as long as necessary, balancing the public’s desire for “reform” with the political parties’ demand for “elections”.
Cases to be withdrawn
The Ministry also decided to withdraw all cases filed between July 1 and August 5, which were perceived as attempts to suppress recent mass protests. It was also decided to withdraw cases filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Cyber Security Act.
Since August 6, Bangladesh has faced heightened security concerns after police officials stopped working, citing fears for their safety following reports of deadly attacks on officers the previous night. However, the situation is gradually returning to normal, with police officers resuming duties at their stations.
According to the police headquarters, operations have resumed at 538 out of 639 police stations (approximately 84%) across the country.
