AMIGOS IAS Daily Current Affairs (6^th August 2024)

The Rise and fall of Sheikh Hasina

GS 2: International Relations: India-Bangladesh

Why is it in the news?

• Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India as anti-quota protests by students peaked. An interim government is being formed under the Army and other political parties.
• In scenes reminiscent of Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa regime’s fall, thousands of protestors took over the prime ministerial residence.

Background

• Hasina’s government faced criticism for the deaths of over 300 protestors, primarily students demanding the end of the job quota system.
• The protests began in June after the High Court nullified Hasina’s executive order to dissolve all job quotas. The Supreme Court later limited these quotas to 5%, but protests continued.
• The police’s brutal crackdown, killing over 300 people, further inflamed the situation, with students demanding Hasina’s resignation despite her offers to negotiate.

Sheikh Hasina’s Political Journey

• In 1988, Sheikh Hasina allied with Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) to demand free elections, leading to President Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s resignation in 1990.
• In 1991, acting President Shahabuddin Ahmed conducted elections that led to a parliamentary system in Bangladesh. With Khaleda Zia as Prime Minister, Hasina became the Leader of Opposition.
• Hasina led anti-government protests in 1994, accusing the Zia government of corruption and rigging, which resulted in the formation of a neutral caretaker government and fresh elections in 1996.
• The Awami League (AL), led by Hasina, won, and she became Prime Minister, focusing on democratic reforms and social schemes. After losing the 2001 elections to BNP, Hasina was again the Leader of Opposition.
• In 2006, disagreements over a caretaker government candidate led to a military-backed state of emergency, during which Hasina and Zia were arrested.
• Hasina returned to power in 2008, strengthening ties with India and boosting the economy. Her second term saw the annulment of the caretaker government law and a crackdown on extremists.
• She controversially won the 2014 elections amid opposition boycotts and low voter turnout, continuing her policies and executing leaders involved in the 1971 liberation war.
• Hasina’s fourth term began with the 2018 elections, marred by allegations of rigging, voter suppression, and violence against opposition members. Despite infrastructural achievements, her administration faced criticism for authoritarian practices, including shutting off the internet before elections and imprisoning opposition leaders like Khaleda Zia on corruption charges.
• In 2024, she won a fifth term virtually unopposed, but student protests over job quotas reignited opposition against her, leading to her eventual resignation and flight from Bangladesh.
• The recent student protests, triggered by the High Court’s order to restore quotas, posed a significant challenge to Hasina since she took office in January.
• Speculations about restoring the 30% quota for descendants of freedom fighters led to demands for its abolition and overall reform of the reservation system, escalating into a call for Hasina’s resignation.
• With yet another caretaker government in place, the political future of Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister remains uncertain as she reportedly seeks asylum in the United Kingdom.

On the edge

GS 2: International Relations: West Asia Crisis

About the news

• The recent assassinations of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in Beirut and Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, in Tehran, have pushed West Asia to the brink of a wider conflict.
• Israel has admitted responsibility for the Beirut strike but has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in Haniyeh’s death in Tehran.
• The region’s tension, especially along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, has escalated since the Gaza war last year, with Hezbollah responding to Shukr’s death by launching rockets at Israel. The situation is further complicated by the potential for Iranian retaliation.
• Following a similar incident in April, when Israel bombed Iran’s embassy in Damascus, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition. Given this precedent, Iran is unlikely to ignore a direct attack on its capital that resulted in the death of an ally.
• Israel’s killing of Haniyeh in Tehran showcases its ability to conduct complex operations in hostile territories, highlighting Iran’s security flaws. This act serves as a stark warning to Hamas, which orchestrated the October 2023 attack, that its leaders are vulnerable.
• However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aggressive tactics may be detrimental to Israel’s long-term stability. His actions suggest a lack of commitment to peace, particularly evident with the assassination of Haniyeh during ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
• Haniyeh, who advocated for a ceasefire, was targeted, indicating Netanyahu’s preference for continuing the conflict. Furthermore, the strike in Tehran, violating Iran’s sovereignty, provokes Iran to retaliate and risks dragging the U.S. into a direct war with Iran, which Netanyahu appears to desire.
• The Biden administration previously managed to prevent such an escalation in April by restraining Israel after Iran’s response. Yet, Israel’s latest provocative action has again destabilized the region.
• As West Asia anticipates Iran’s response, the U.S. and its allies must minimize the impact on Israel and establish new protocols to prevent Israel from jeopardizing regional security as it did on April 1 and July 30.

The 50-year-old relationship between India and Sheikh Hasina

GS 2: International Relations: India-Bangladesh

Why is it in the news?

• On Monday (5^th August, 2024), Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana landed in Delhi amid jubilant crowds in Dhaka as the army declared it was taking charge of the country.

Historical context

• In 1975, the sisters took refuge in India after their father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and seven family members were assassinated, including Mujib’s 10-year-old son Russell. Hasina escaped because she was in Germany with her husband and Rehana at the time.
• The history of Bangladeshi democracy has seen periodic military interventions. The army appointed Chief Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem as president in November 1975, ruling the country through a military junta.
• In 1977, Gen Ziaur Rahman became president but was assassinated in 1981, and his successor Abdus Sattar was removed in a 1982 coup. Army chief H M Ershad took control but resigned in 1990 due to mass unrest.
• Civilian governments of Khaleda Zia, widow of Gen Ziaur Rahman (1991-96 and 2001-06), and Sheikh Hasina (1996-2001) followed, with an attempted coup in 1996. Following unrest at the end of Khaleda’s term in 2006, the military requested the president to declare an emergency, leading to a caretaker government from January 2007 to December 2008.
• After Hasina returned to power in 2008, she ensured the army returned to the barracks.
• In 2010, the Supreme Court reduced the scope for military interventions and reaffirmed the secular principles of the Bangladesh constitution.

Hasina’s Goodwill and Political Stability

• Hasina’s regime brought political stability and economic growth to Bangladesh, benefiting and being supported by India.
• In 2009, the Manmohan Singh government provided humanitarian aid and assistance. Hasina’s deep personal ties with the Gandhi family, pivotal in the liberation of Bangladesh, facilitated this support.
• Former President Pranab Mukherjee acted as Hasina’s local guardian when she lived in Delhi post-Mujib’s assassination, and decades later, Hasina attended both his and his wife’s funerals. These experiences fostered Hasina’s deep gratitude for Indian leadership and its people.
• She received bipartisan support in India; Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reached out to her in 2014. Shared concerns about religious extremism and terrorism strengthened this bond.
• This support facilitated resolving the maritime boundary issue and the land boundary agreement, and India extended billions of dollars in credit to support Bangladesh’s infrastructure and humanitarian needs.

India’s Support and Future Challenges

• Hasina’s consecutive election victories in 2013, 2018, and 2024 faced legitimacy questions and rigging allegations, particularly from the US and the West, but she could rely on India for unwavering support.
• This support was based on India’s experience during the Bangladesh National Party (BNP)-Jamaat rule (2001-06), when anti-India terror groups operated freely from Bangladeshi soil.
• Upon returning to power, Hasina targeted these terror groups and their benefactor, the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, extending the crackdown to the main opposition BNP and dissenting voices in civil society and media. India overlooked these actions for its national security and strategic reasons.
• As Hasina recently arrived in India, met by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, India faces the task of ensuring her safety amidst questions from the new regime in Dhaka about giving refuge to an unpopular leader. For New Delhi, Hasina remains the leader who stabilized its eastern borders.

Way Forward

• New Delhi’s diplomatic challenge is significant. It has shunned the BNP and Jamaat for the past decade and a half, favouring Hasina’s Awami League. During this period, the Bangladeshi opposition viewed India as backing Hasina and the West as their ally.
• However, there is a risk of blowback from the Bangladeshi people. The stance of new power centres in Dhaka towards India, some carrying past grudges, will be crucial.
• Challenges from the BNP-Jamaat years might resurface, and New Delhi cannot afford another front amid tensions with Pakistan, the PLA in eastern Ladakh, and the volatile Myanmar border affecting India’s Northeast. The army chief will play a critical role.
• Robust links between New Delhi and the Bangladeshi security establishment due to common terrorism and extremism threats might prove useful as “anti-India elements” take charge.

SC ruling on Delhi L-G’s power to nominate Aldermen

GS 2: Polity and Governance: Alderman

Why is it in the news?

• On August 5, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) has the authority to nominate ‘aldermen’ to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) without the aid and advice of the Delhi Government’s Council of Ministers.
• Justices P.S. Narasimha and P.V. Sanjay Kumar stated that the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 (DMC Act) explicitly grants this power to the L-G, validating the nomination of 10 aldermen in January 2023.

More about the news

• The DMC Act divides Delhi into 12 zones, each with a Wards Committee comprising elected representatives and aldermen. The L-G can nominate 10 aldermen over 25 years old with special knowledge or experience in municipal administration.
• Although aldermen cannot vote in MCD meetings, they play a crucial role in the Wards Committees, which elect members to the MCD Standing Committee.
• This committee handles key functions such as contracts over Rs. 5 crore, appointing key MCD officers, recommending budget revisions, and approving expenditures beyond the current year.
• In January 2024, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi petitioned the SC to allow the MCD to exercise Standing Committee powers while the aldermen nomination case was pending.
• The challenge centres on Article 239AA of the Constitution, which outlines special provisions for Delhi, including the creation of the Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers.
• The Delhi government argued that the L-G’s nominations were illegal without the Council of Ministers’ aid and advice, citing the SC’s 2018 decision in State (NCT of Delhi) v. Union of India, which held that the L-G is bound by the Council’s aid and advice in State and Concurrent list matters, except for specific excluded subjects.
• The SC referred to the five-judge bench decision in Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India, 2023, affirming that Parliament can legislate on State List subjects concerning the NCT of Delhi, including local government.
• Further, the court concluded that the DMC Act explicitly empowers the L-G to nominate aldermen without consulting the Council of Ministers, making the January 2023 nominations a valid exercise of power.

National Coastal Mission Scheme (NCM)

GS 3: Environment and Biodiversity: Coastal Conservation

About the news

• The National Coastal Mission Scheme (NCM) under the National Coastal Management Program includes components such as the conservation of mangroves and coral reefs, research and development in marine and coastal ecosystems, sustainable beach development, and capacity building for coastal states and Union Territories (UTs).
• The scheme is implemented by the State Governments and UT Administrations, with funds released based on reviewed proposals.
• From 2018-19 to 2023-24, ₹7.94 crore has been allocated for developing infrastructure, pollution control, safety surveillance, and beach cleaning in Andhra Pradesh under the Externally Aided Programme (EAP) and non-EAP components.
• Additionally, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has executed the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), which includes mapping hazard lines, eco-sensitive areas, and sediment cells along India’s coastline, including Andhra Pradesh.

Murmu conferred highest honour: Companion of the Order of Fiji

GS 2: International Relations: India-Fiji

About the news

• President Droupadi Murmu, during her two-day visit to Fiji, was conferred the Companion of the Order of Fiji, the nation’s highest honour, by the President of Fiji.
• Upon her arrival in Suva, she received a ceremonial guard of honour from the Fiji Military Force and was welcomed with a traditional ceremony attended by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
• In a bilateral meeting at State House, she discussed strengthening ties with her counterpart, Williame Katonivere.
• President Murmu addressed the Fijian Parliament, highlighting the 75-year diplomatic relationship between India and Fiji, thanking the Fijian Government for supporting India’s Aditya L1 Mission, and recalling India’s assistance during the Covid-19 crisis through the Vaccine Maitri initiative.
• She also stressed the importance of the Global South advocating for climate justice and the concerns of developing nations.

Additional Information:

About Vaccine Maitri initiative:

• A diplomatic initiative by India to supply COVID-19 vaccines to its neighbouring countries and key partner countries under its Neighbourhood First policy.
• During the pandemic, India supplied Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Paracetamol tablets, diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves, and other medical supplies to numerous countries.
• Additionally, through the Partnerships for Accelerating Clinical Trials (PACT) program, India has trained several neighbouring countries to bolster their clinical capabilities.