Protests erupt over appointment of new advisers

The appointment of several new advisers to the Professor Muhammad Yunus-led advisory council of the interim government has sparked protests nationwide, with various groups, including the Student Movement Against Discrimination, accusing them of being aligned with the Sheikh Hasina regime.

On Saturday, the government appointed three new advisers and reshuffled the portfolios of some others in a significant change since the interim government’s formation on August 8, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government three days earlier, amid a student-led uprising. The new advisers are businessman Sheikh Bashir Uddin, filmmaker Mostofa Sarowar Farooki, and Mahfuz Alam, who has been appointed as the chief adviser’s special assistant.

Meanwhile, adviser Ali Imam Majumder, previously associated with the chief adviser’s office, has been given responsibility for the food ministry.

The protests have mainly focused on Ali Imam Majumder, Bashir Uddin, and Sarowar Farooki. Critics have raised concerns about their previous roles, especially Bashir Uddin and Farooki, with Bashir being implicated in a case related to the killing of a student during the July-August movement against Hasina’s government.

On Monday, the Student Movement Against Discrimination held a human chain and protest rally at Dhaka University’s Anti-Violence Raju Memorial Sculpture, denouncing the appointment of what they described as "fascist associates" as advisers. Convener Hasnat Abdullah questioned their past contributions over the last 16 years, asking, "What is their history of fighting fascism? We want to know about their struggles."

He further stated, "If these appointments are the result of compromises, you are betraying the students and citizens, and the 2024 uprising."

Sarjis Alam, another leader of the student movement, criticized the appointments on Facebook, pointing out that while 13 advisers were from just one division, no advisers had been appointed from Rangpur and Rajshahi in North Bengal. He also condemned the appointment of individuals with ties to the former government, particularly those seen as supporters of Hasina.

Protests were also held at Jahangirnagar University, where students marched in opposition to the appointment of Mostofa Sarowar Farooki. The protesters accused Farooki of supporting the renovation of the house at 32 Dhanmondi, which they view as a symbol of the fascist regime led by the Awami League. The protesters threatened to block the Dhaka-Aricha highway unless Farooki was removed from his position.

In Rajshahi, students from various institutions organized a rally, demanding the removal of advisers such as Ali Imam Majumder, Bashir Uddin, and Farooki, and called for decentralization of power. They also blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway at Talaimari intersection, arguing that the advisory council was too focused on one city and university.

In Jashore, the Student Movement Against Discrimination held a procession against the appointment of Bashir Uddin, describing him as a collaborator of the ousted Hasina regime. Bashir is the younger brother of Sheikh Afil Uddin, a former Awami League lawmaker from Jashore-1.

The interim government’s spokesperson, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, defended the reshuffle, stating that the expansion of the advisory council was meant to increase the speed and efficiency of government operations. She also noted that the public's expectations for more visible efforts on law and order and keeping essential commodity prices within reach had been considered in the reshuffle.