Bangladesh’s protest leaders said they expect members of an interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, to be finalised on Wednesday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina quit and fled to India following a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising.
The country’s President appointed Yunus, who was recommended by student leaders, as the head of the interim government late on Tuesday and said the remaining members need to be finalised soon to overcome the current crisis and pave way for elections.
The interim government will fill a power vacuum left after Bangladesh’s army chief announced Hasina’s resignation in a televised address on Monday that followed weeks of deadly violence that ripped through the country, killing about 300 people and injuring thousands.
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“It is critical that trust in government be restored quickly,” Yunus, 84, told the Financial Times on Wednesday, adding that he was not seeking an elected role or appointment beyond the interim period.
His spokesperson said he is expected to return to Dhaka on Thursday after a medical procedure in Paris.
“We need calm, we need a road map to new elections and we need to get to work to prepare for new leadership,” Yunus told the newspaper.
Hasina’s resignation had triggered jubilation across the country and crowds stormed into her official residence unopposed after she fled, ending a 15-year second stint in power.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
