NEW DELHI, Aug 7: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh will take oath on Thursday, Army Chief General Waqar-Uz-Zaman said. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, General Waqar said the interim government was likely to be sworn in at 8:00 pm on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh’s Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer was appointed as the head of interim government by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following deadly protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.
A top police official in Bangladesh on Wednesday said the casualties of policemen in the recent violence occurred due to some unprofessional and overly ambitious officials who violated human rights. Addressing a press briefing at the Police Headquarters, newly-appointed Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam said some unprofessional officers did not follow the accepted principles of applying force and violated human rights.
“It is because of them [unprofessional officials] that this ongoing violence and casualties have occurred,” he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper. Many police officials have been injured, killed, and tortured because of some unprofessional and overtly ambitious officials, he said. Islam assured that every murder would be properly investigated. On taking action against the police officials who he said violated human rights, the IGP said, “Action will be taken against those involved as per police regulations.”
The Founder-chairman of Bangladesh Grameen Bank Yunus has called for calm in the country after mass protests forced Ms Hasina to flee. His appointment came quickly after student leaders called on the 84-year-old — credited with lifting millions out of poverty — to lead the country. “Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes. I fervently appeal to everybody to stay calm. Please refrain from all kinds of violence,” Yunus said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“I appeal to all students, members of all political parties and non-political people to stay calm. This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations,” he added. Yunus urged everyone to work together and build Bangladesh instead of resorting to violence.
Bangladesh’s former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia has thanked the people of the country for their “struggle to make possible the impossible” and said it was not “anger” or “revenge” but “love and peace” that would rebuild the nation.
In her first public speech since 2018, delivered via video link at the BNP rally in Nayapaltan, 79-year-old Zia on Wednesday appealed for calm. A day after her release from house arrest, she thanked people as they fought and prayed for her to be released from imprisonment.
Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister who fled to India following mass protests against her government, is planning to stay in Delhi “for a little while,” her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said on Wednesday. The 76-year-old Awami League leader landed at an airbase near Delhi on Monday and later shifted to a safe location under tight security.
“These are all rumours. She has not made a decision on that yet. She is going to stay in Delhi for a little while. My sister is with her. So she is not alone,” Joy said. Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed is World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for the South-East Asia Region, which has its headquarters in New Delhi. Hasina’s plan to travel to London has hit a roadblock following the UK’s hesitation to provide her refuge. Her younger sister Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq is a member of the British Parliament.
Local businesses demanded immediate restoration of law and order to ensure the safety of their production units amid incidents of attacks on factories over the last two days. They said they opened factories on Wednesday, particularly the garment units, but many cannot run properly fearing unrest and vandalism, local media reports said.
Despite ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh, trade between India and the neighbouring country through land ports in West Bengal is expected to normalise soon while some movements of goods via one of these facilities were reported on Wednesday, officials said.
President Shahabuddin has ordered police to take tough measures to stop the anarchy and looting after the fall of the Awami League government in a popular uprising. The president delivered the order after newly appointed Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam went to meet him at Bangabhaban on Wednesday. In a statement, Bangabhaban said President Shahabuddin gave the order to take necessary steps to ensure that every police member can perform their duties with high morale and courage maintaining the ‘chain of command.’
(Manas Dasgupta)