This chapter delves into the evolving perceptions of Bangladesh amidst recent protests and political turmoil. It explores the tension between authoritarian governance and the nation's identity as a Muslim democracy, highlighting the impact on its economic progress and political future.
After weeks of protests and a brutal crackdown that led to several hundred deaths, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down and flee the country, putting an abrupt end to her more than 15 years in power. Stepping into the leadership vacuum is Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who we spoke to last month -- when he was facing charges that his supporters said were trumped up by Hasina.
Today on The Big Take Asia, host K. Oanh Ha speaks to Bloomberg’s Kai Schultz about what drove the student-led uprising and Hasina’s downfall, Yunus’s surprising turn to politics, and what’s at stake for one of Asia’s most promising economies.
Read more:
Yunus Cleared in Graft Case After Becoming Bangladesh Leader
Further listening:
Why This Nobel Prize Winner Faces Life Imprisonment in Bangladesh
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.