Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Sunday accused deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina of destroying every institution of the country in her efforts to stay in power as he promised to hold a free, fair and participatory election as soon as his government completes the “mandate” of carrying out “vital reforms.”
Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs. After Hasina’s ouster, 84-year-old Yunus took oath as the Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8.
“In their efforts to stay in power, Sheikh Hasina’s dictatorship destroyed every institution of the country. The judiciary was broken. Democratic rights were suppressed through a brutal decade-and-a-half long crackdown,” United News of Bangladesh quoted Yunus as saying through his Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.
His comments came as he briefed diplomats stationed in Dhaka for the first time since the interim government’s inception. Yunus said he took over a country which was in many ways a complete mess.
He emphasises on required reforms in the Election Commission, judiciary, civil administration, security forces and media. The chief adviser said elections were rigged blatantly and generations of young people grew up without exercising their voting rights.
“Banks were robbed with full political patronisation. And the state coffer was plundered by abusing power,” Yunus
said.