The Economist :
The Economist in its current issue ran the cover page on “Bangladesh begins again” saying despite its daunting problems, Bangladesh has advantages and in Mr. Yunus it now has a leader with moral authority.
“Bangladesh matters; it must not be allowed to fail,” the internationally famous weekly said, adding, “The good news is that the economy is resilient and civil society is robust.”
The article said after Sheikh Hasina was driven out by a vast display of people power on the streets of Dhaka, the capital, Bangladesh is replaced by a caretaker government, backed by the army and led by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel peace laureate. Like him, many Bangladeshis are calling it a “second liberation”, half a century after independence.’
The magazine writes: “Yet to meet the promise of the moment, Bangladesh must do more than oust an ageing autocrat: it must also clean up a rotten political system. The problems are venal political dynasties and the enfeebled institutions that have failed to stand up to them. …Sclerosis at the top has poisoned politics.”
Mr Yunus should aim to hold proper elections on a reasonable timescale, butfirst he will have to clean up institutions that Sheikh Hasina captured, such as the electoral authority and the courts, suggest the article.
Noting that Mr Yunus has a short time to set the country on a democratic path, the article cited his success or failure will shape the lives of 173m Bangladeshis, and influence the rivalry between China, India, Russia and the West.
“Mr Yunus faces an immensely difficult task. His priority should be torestore order and prevent waves of retributive violence, which have blighted Bangladeshi politics in the past.
This means ensuring that the caretaker government, while run by technocrats, also includes representatives of the protesting students and of all political parties, including the AL,” the article added.
Suggesting to Mr Yunus to work fast, it wrote the unelected caretaker government must not remain in office for too long lest it lose legitimacy or, worse; its military backers are tempted to cling to power indefinitely.