Dhaka, Aug 7 (UNI) An interim government in Bangladesh, headed by Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, will be sworn in tomorrow (Thursday), Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said today.
Addressing a press conference in the afternoon, General Waker said the interim government is likely to be sworn in at 8 pm tomorrow.
He also said the advisory council is likely to have 15 members.
He said that the armed forces will extend all support to Professor Muhammad Yunus, the head of the interim government, Daily Star reported.
“We are making every effort to hold the oath-taking ceremony tomorrow (Thursday). There was a proposal to hold it in the afternoon. However, that would result in a very tight schedule because Dr Yunus is expected to arrive in the country around 2:10pm. It would be difficult to arrange the ceremony after that. Therefore, we may hold it around 8pm,” he said.
The army chief hoped that normalcy would return within three-four days as the situation across the country is improving significantly.
Those who were involved in the crimes committed over the past few days will not be spared and legal action would be taken against them, he said.
He said the air force and navy chiefs are with him and they are working together.
He also said he had spoken with Prof Muhammad Yunus.
“I felt very good talking to him. It seemed to me that he is very eager to do this job. I am certain he will be successful in taking us to a democratic process, and that we will benefited from it,” the army chief said.
Bangladesh has been facing uncertainty after the resignation and fleeing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 in the face of a mass uprising against her and her Awami League government. In the mob violence and rioting that followed, at least 142 people died across the country.
Her resignation followed around three weeks of violence that had its origins in the students’ demand for reform of the quota system in public service jobs.
Between July 16 and today, over 400 people have been killed in violent clashes.
On July 23, the government through a circular reformed the quota system as per the demand of the students, but by then nearly 200 had died in clashes.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet on August 3, holding her government responsible for the deaths. The government was toppled in the space of three days.
Hasina was serving her fourth straight term in office since assuming power in 2009, and fifth overall.
