Pakistan Expresses Solidarity with Bangladesh, Hopes for ‘Peaceful Return to Normalcy’Pakistan expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh on Wednesday,
hoping for a "peaceful and swift return to normalcy" following deadly protests that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's rule two days ago.
“The government and people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, sincerely hoping for a peaceful and swift return to normalcy,” the Foreign Office (FO) stated.“We are confident that the resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future,” it added.This statement follows the expected formation of a caretaker government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, after student protest leaders requested his leadership.The movement that toppled Hasina emerged from protests against public sector job quotas for families of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war, which critics saw as a way to reserve jobs for Awami League party allies.Over 400 people have died since July as security forces attempted to quell the unrest, but the protests escalated.
Hasina resigned and fled by helicopter on Monday after losing military support.Hasina is currently in India, staying at a safe house outside New Delhi.Bangladesh’s army chief General Wakeruz Zaman announced on Monday that the military would form an interim government, stating it was “time to stop the violence”.On Tuesday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament, meeting a key demand of student leaders and the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which called for elections within three months.Hasina’s rival, BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, was also freed from years of house arrest.Dhaka's streets were largely peaceful on Tuesday, with traffic resuming and shops opening, though government offices remained mostly closed.The chaotic violence on Monday resulted in more than 100 deaths, the deadliest day since protests began in early July. An additional 10 people were killed on Tuesday, bringing the total toll to at least 432, according to an AFP tally from police, government officials, and hospital doctors.The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) reported that 200-300 mainly Hindu homes and businesses were vandalized since Monday, and 15-20 Hindu temples were damaged.Student leaders reported attacks on minority groups, including Hindu temples, in the Muslim-majority country, and called for restraint to avoid undermining their movement.India and Western Nations Urge ‘Calm’India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar informed parliament on Tuesday that New Delhi had repeatedly “counseled restraint and urged the situation to be defused through dialogue”.Expressing deep concern until law and order is restored in Bangladesh, Jaishankar said India had assured Hasina of its support and given her time to decide her future actions, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).India also noted concern over attacks on minorities, their businesses, and temples at multiple locations.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the need for a “peaceful, orderly, and democratic transition,” according to his spokesman.European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell echoed that call, while former colonial ruler Britain and the United States also urged “calm”.
