The recent flooding in Bangladesh risks sparking an epidemic of waterborne diseases. © Reuters
MUMBAI — In the month since former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power, the provisional government has struggled to control the border from incoming refugees and fleeing political partisans, while deadly floods threaten a health crisis.
Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh on Aug. 5 following weeks of deadly clashes between demonstrators and authorities. Student-led protests against a public-sector jobs quota initially sparked the uprising.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returned from France to lead the caretaker government formed by different factions. Over 1,000 people have died in the upheaval, according to an estimate issued by the new government in late August.
The government is attempting to restore normal public order by reinstating police officers and other officials.
“The subversive activities that took advantage of the government’s collapse have been brought under control, and we no longer feel threatened,” said Yuji Ando, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) representative to Bangladesh, who works in an office in the capital, Dhaka.
Border security has become a pressing challenge. Bangladesh has information that “around 8,000” Rohingya refugees have entered the country from Myanmar, foreign policy advisor Touhid Hossain said Tuesday, according to local media.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim group, has been subject to repression in Myanmar, a Buddhist-majority nation. Many of the refugees live in tent camps inside Bangladesh. Yunus said last month that the government will continue providing assistance to the refugees.
Hossain expressed sympathy for the refugees and acknowledged that it is “not fully possible” to close off the border. Yet Hossain said Bangladesh does not plan to shelter any more displaced Rohingya, citing lack of capacity.
An outflow of people from Bangladesh to India is also causing headaches. Both countries reportedly have tightened border security in response to attempts by officials from the Awami League — Hasina’s onetime ruling party — to escape to India, fearing reprisals from opponents.
Hasina herself chose India as she sought a haven. The border situation risks worsening relations between Bangladesh and India.
Beyond the political turmoil, torrential rains have caused flooding responsible for 71 deaths as of Tuesday. The natural disaster has harmed the livelihood of millions of others and raised concerns of a public health crisis.
During her 15 years in power, Hasina increasingly ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist, directing her clampdown against opposition parties and the media. The Awami League won the general election in January, but the largest opposition party boycotted the race, saying it had no faith the election would be administered fairly.
The time frame for the next election has yet to be determined. Previously, a caretaker government took charge for roughly two years amid intense interparty conflict and public distrust of politicians.
source : asia.nikkei