Western nations urged for calm in Bangladesh on Monday as long-ruling leader Sheikh Hasina departed, with the US commending the military for forming an interim administration rather than cracking down on demonstrators.
Sheikh Hasina, who had particularly good ties with regional power India, maintained a mainly cooperative relationship with the West during her 15 years in power, although her authoritarian tendencies drew increasing criticism.
The United States urged all parties in Bangladesh to “refrain from further violence” as bullet-ridden bodies littered hospital floors and looting ravaged the city, Dhaka.
“Too many lives have been lost over the course of the past several weeks, and we urge calm and restraint in the days ahead,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father, had sought to quell a nationwide uprising that started with student-led protests against job quotas. Nearly 100 people were killed on Sunday as calls grew for her to step down.
Miller said that the United States had seen reports that the army refused pressure to crack down further on student-led demonstrations.
“If it is true in fact that the army resisted calls to crack down on lawful protesters, that would be a positive development,” he said.
“We welcome the announcement of an interim government and urge any transition be conducted in accordance with Bangladesh’s laws,” he said.
Asked if the military should choose the next leadership, Miller said, “We want to see the Bangladeshi people decide the future Bangladeshi government.”
Call for UN-led probe
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a “peaceful, orderly and democratic transition” as well as a “full, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into all acts of violence,” his spokesman Farhan Haq said.
Bangladesh’s former colonial power Britain called for the United Nations to take the lead in an investigation.
“The people of Bangladesh deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events of the past few weeks,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.
The European Union also called for “calm and restraint.”
“It is vital that an orderly and peaceful transition towards a democratically elected government is ensured, in full respect of human rights and democratic principles,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said her country “condemns the human rights violations, deaths, torture, arbitrary arrests and lethal force” used in response to the protests.
“During this transition, we urge all parties to respect and uphold democratic institutions and processes and the rule of law,” Joly said in a statement.
There was no instant reaction from regional countries to Hasina’s demise, who had tried to strike a careful balance between enjoying India’s support and retaining good ties with China.
According to Indian media reports, Hasina flew to a military airstrip near New Delhi.
According to a top-level source, she wanted to continue on to London, but it was unclear whether she would be allowed.
The United States has previously complimented Hasina’s economic success and viewed her as a collaborator on issues such as combating Islamist terrorism and sheltering Rohingya refugees escaping persecution in Myanmar.
However, Washington has recently chastised her for autocratic inclinations and issued visa sanctions due to worries about democracy.