A New Dawn in Bangladesh | How the Interim Government Plans to Tackle Unrest

For the first time in a decade and half - Bangladesh has a change of guard. What began as student protests in early-July, quickly escalated into violent clashes, and then to a regime change. Bangladesh, today, has a new government. But the interim government is not free of challenges. At first, it will have to put an end to the ongoing domestic unrest and revenge attacks. In the longer-term, it will have to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions and bring in the much-needed constitutional reforms. It would also have to carry on the legacy of rapid socio-economic transformation and address the unemployment question. Most importantly - with Myanmar facing instability, the new regime will have to find a way to maintain good relations with its only stable neighbour - India. They will have to balance between Delhi and Beijing, while keeping extremism under check and ensuring that the minority communities are protected, even as previously proscribed parties and ideologies are mainstreaming.

What triggered this change in Bangladesh? What key challenges are confronting the interim government? What are people expecting from the new regime? How does the government intend to address these challenges, and meet these expectations? Why should neighbours be concerned about the developments in the country? What implications does this new transition have on the India-Bangladesh relationship? Will the new government succeed in ensuring an inclusive economy and polity, and find a sustainable solution to people’s grievances?

Speakers: 

Smruti S Pattanaik, Research Fellow, IDSA, India
Riva Ganguly Das, Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh, India
Shahab Enam Khan, Professor, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh
Smita Sharma, Independent Journalist; Visiting Faculty, Kautilya School of Public Policy, India

Moderator:

Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India