Newly appointed chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has vowed to crack down on the conspirators as Bangladesh struggles to return to normalcy after the violence. Violent protests continued for several weeks And former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office.
In his first address to the nation, Yunus warned that those spreading anarchy would face the full might of law enforcement agencies.
He said, “The conspirators have created an atmosphere of anarchy and fear in the country to thwart our second independence through the student-mass revolt. Anarchy is our enemy, and it must be defeated as soon as possible.”
Yunus, 84, Nobel laureate took over as head of interim government After President Mohammad Shahabuddin dissolved parliament and Hasina resigned and fled to India, she was sworn in as chief adviser, a position equivalent to prime minister, and promised to deliver a government that would assure security to its citizens.
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A 16-member council of advisers to assist Yunus in running the country’s affairs was also sworn in on Thursday. The interim government will lead the country for a fixed period and oversee elections to transfer power to an elected government.
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The Advisory Council consists of the following: Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, a student leader who played a key role in the anti-reservation protests that turned into a national movement against the previous Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina.
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Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on microlending, expressed gratitude to the youth who made the protest movement against Hasina a success. “Today is a proud day for us,” he said, describing the regime change as the country’s “second independence”.
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Yunus’ call for an end to the violence was welcomed by the United States. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed a willingness to work with the interim government to chart a course for Bangladesh’s democratic future.
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Meanwhile, members of Sheikh Hasina’s team, who had fled to India, went abroad to unknown places The Indian government has granted asylum to 76-year-old Hasina until she is granted asylum in another country.
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The situation in Bangladesh remains volatile. Weeks of unrest have wreaked havoc, with local media reporting that more than 560 people have died since mid-July. Violence has escalated since Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power, with 232 people killed since Monday alone.
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Targeted attacks on Hindus Extremist groups took advantage of the political instability and carried out widespread arson, vandalism, and attacks on Hindu temples, homes, and businesses.
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On Thursday, the Rajya Sabha was told that over 7,200 Indian students returned to India in the weeks prior to August 1 due to the situation in Bangladesh. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said nearly 19,000 Indian nationals, including over 9,000 students, are still in Bangladesh.
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