Dr Yunus to take oath as interim govt head today: Army Chief

Staff Reporter :

Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced on Wednesday that the armed forces will offer full support and cooperation to the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus.

During a press conference at the army headquarters, General Waker stated that the interim government is expected to take the oath of office at 8:00 pm on Thursday.

General Waker also revealed that the advisory council for the interim government might include up to 15 members.

Earlier on Tuesday, a significant meeting took place at Bangabhaban, involving a 13-member delegation from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

The discussions, which began in the evening, were aimed at addressing the current national situation and establishing a framework for the proposed interim government.

The meeting also concluded with the decision to appoint Dr Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser of the new interim government.

“We presented a list of 10-15 potential members for the advisory council. We will not release the list yet as it is still under review.

We plan to consult with all political parties before finalising it,” said Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the student movement, during a media briefing.

The meeting at Bangabhaban was attended by Dhaka University Professors Asif Nazrul and Tanjim Uddin, among others. In related news, Dr Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to return to Bangladesh from France on Thursday afternoon, according to a reliable source.

This development follows a period of intense violence linked to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s demands.

On Monday, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned from her position and left for India. That day, protesters stormed Ganabhaban, the official residence of the Prime Minister, as well as the National Parliament building and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Attacks were also reported at numerous police stations across the country.

With President Mohammed Shahabuddin having dissolved the 12th Parliament on Tuesday, there is currently no functioning cabinet. Although the President is the head of state, he does not serve as the head of government.

Consequently, the country is without an effective government until the interim administration is formally established. Despite the 48-hour period since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, the interim government has yet to be formed.