Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus is set to swear in as the head of Bangladesh's interim government this Thursday. In his call, Yunus pressed on everybody to maintain peace and avoid any kind of violence in order to make full use of the "new victory."
As efforts were under way to restore normalcy, Army Chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman has said the interim government would be sworn in around 8 p.m. on Thursday. The advisory council may comprise at most 15 members, he added.
Gen Zaman also said that armed forces would extend full support to 84-year-old Yunus after the resignation and subsequent exit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country amidst violent protests by the Students Against Discrimination movement. Yunus is currently in Paris but is on his way to Dhaka.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was freed from house arrest Tuesday, also came out in support of Yunus's appeal for peace, saying reconstruction of the nation must be guided by "love and peace, not by anger or a desire for revenge.".
The business community has pressed for the immediate restoration of the rule of law to save production units that have been targeted for the last two days. Factories, including garment units, have reopened Wednesday, but many are running under threat of unrest and vandalism, says Daily Star.
With the police force staying away from their duties, students came out to take on traffic management roles in a volunteering capacity for the second consecutive day, the Dhaka Tribune reported. The attacks are not limited to merely police stations and facilities; there have been nationwide assaults that have claimed multiple casualties among police officers.
Yunus, whose name was proposed for the caretaker position by student movement coordinators, thanked the "brave students" who helped to make what he described as "our Second Victory Day." He appealed to all parties and citizens to maintain peace and to avoid meaningless bloodshed. "Violence is our enemy," said Yunus. "Please keep calm and help others to keep calm too. We must grasp this opportunity to build our nation without allowing it to evaporate because of errors on our part.
The appeal comes amid reports of 29 supporters of Hasina's Awami League party being killed, bringing the death toll to 469 since protests began in July. Hasina flew to Hindon air base near Delhi on Monday.
Gen Zaman acknowledged incidents of looting and chaos following Hasina's ouster, saying the police had become "totally dysfunctional," and while the military — along with the navy and air force — was doing its best to fill the gap, it could not do so entirely. He said all efforts would be made to bring those responsible to justice.
Yunus referred to Bangladesh as a "beautiful country with immense potential" and appealed to everybody to save and develop it for the present and future generations. Blaming some officials for violating human rights codes, an unnamed senior police official today alleged that recent violence that claimed innocent lives was the handiwork of some police officers who did not follow human rights yardsticks.
A news conference condemned the unprofessional conduct of some officials, which newly-appointed Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam said had contributed to the ongoing violence.
Reports have also come in of cases of violence against minorities, like the house of Rahul Ananda, frontman of the very popular folk band Joler Gaan, which was considerably damaged. All the musical instruments and other belongings were destroyed, and the artist along with his family had to flee.
The Development Transparency International Bangladesh condemned the attacks against minorities, calling upon the authorities to protect religious minorities and state assets. Hindu temples, homes and businesses have been vandalized, at least two Hindu leaders associated with Hasina's party killed.
In her first public address since 2018, Khaleda Zia thanked the people for their efforts to achieve what seemed impossible and urged support for the youth. She emphasized that a democratic Bangladesh is a pre-requisite if the aspirations of the young generation are to be met.
The newly-appointed additional inspector general of police, A K M Shahidur Rahman, has called upon the police members to return to their respective duties while arranging appropriate security management in each case. Rahman was also appointed as the Director General of the elite Rapid Action Battalion or RAB in a recent reshuffle.
In another development, six top officials of Bangladesh Bank, including its Deputy Governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman, resigned on Wednesday following sustained unrest at the bank. The situation escalated into a confrontation in the governor's office, after which several deputy governors had to vacate the premises.
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