In Dhaka, students have taken to the streets to manage traffic and maintain order as police are on strike following the popular uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The usually visible police are absent from Dhaka’s bustling streets, leaving students and some paramilitary forces to uphold law and order after weeks of unrest that resulted in hundreds of deaths. An interim government is promised but has yet to be established.
The police, shaken by a deadly crackdown that failed to end protests and caused widespread anger, are now avoiding the streets. The unrest, which began over civil service job quotas, saw the death of over 400 people, mostly civilians, but also including some police officers. This turmoil is the bloodiest since the 1971 war for independence.
At the airport, a worker lamented the situation, mentioning the death of many children and criticizing the government's excessive use of force. Outside, students in orange vests are directing traffic, filling the void left by the absent police.
One student, Julker Nayeem Rahat, expressed pride in their role in the protests and optimism about the interim leadership of Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus, who is expected to form a government with support from students, lawyers, and the public. He and his peers hope Yunus can navigate the country towards a better future.
Mahamudul Hassan, another student, is looking for a leader who can ensure democracy and equal opportunities for all. Yunus, appointed late Tuesday by the president, is expected to be sworn in soon, despite ongoing looting and violence.
Yunus, returning from surgery in France, has called for an end to violence and warned that further unrest could jeopardize the nation’s progress. The army chief expressed confidence in Yunus's ability to lead the country through this tumultuous period.
As Dhaka's traffic management improves under student supervision, many believe Yunus’s international reputation might help stabilize the economy and address Bangladesh's significant challenges. The end of Hasina's 15-year tenure, marked by both economic progress and serious human rights abuses, leaves the nation grappling with the aftermath and hoping for a brighter future.
On the plane to Dhaka, a handwritten note discovered on an airsick bag revealed the personal cost of Hasina's regime: a man’s father killed, and his brother abducted, leading him to live in exile. Now returning to what he views as a "free country," he hopes to visit his father's grave.
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