Is Bangladesh slipping toward a praetorian state?

Bangladesh's ongoing crisissparked by student protests and deepened by military interventionmarks one of the country's most significant democratic regressions toward a praetorian state since the 1980s.

- PROF. BAWA SINGH AND JAY KOCHE

The student protests of July 2024, triggered by a 30% job quota for descendants of 1971 freedom fighters-seen by many as favoritism towards Awami League loyalists-ignited widespread unrest. Authoritarian governance only added fuel to the fire, leading to mass protests, injuries, and deaths.

In this context, the military forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and go into exile. In August 2024, an interim government under Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was installed-signaling Bangladesh's slide toward praetorianism, where the military holds disproportionate sway over civilian affairs.

Now, not just political parties, but civil society, teachers, students, and notably the military, are pressuring the Yunus regime. Key demands include a time-bound election by December 2025. The military, in particular, has opposed initiatives like the Bangladesh-Myanmar Humanitarian Corridor and has issued firm warnings against any interference in military affairs or institutional restructuring.