An interim Bangladesh caretaker government was constituted on Thursday night 8 August comprising of a dozen advisers headed by Noble Prize winning economist Dr Muhammad Yunus, 84 and includes protesting student leaders, human rights activists, academics, technocrats and a retired general in order restore peace, freedom and human rights for all Bangladeshis, paving way for free and fair elections.
Dr Yunus (centre) welcomed by General Waker-uz-Zaman (left) and student leaders at Dhaka airport arriving from Paris on Thursday 8 August 2024.
The Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman played a vital role in restoring swift normalcy in the country after mass protests resulting in hundreds of deaths by persuading the autocratic Sheikh Hasina to quit, complying with the demands of student protest movement, releasing political prisoners and sacking the Police Chief responsible for brutal crackdown on protesting students.
More than a dozen members of his cabinet, named as advisers, not ministers, also took the oath as the interim caretaker government in order to restore law and order, peace and prepare for free and fare elections.
The team of advisers includes Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, top leaders of the Students Against Discrimination group, which led the weeks-long protests as well as Touhid Hossain, a former foreign secretary, and Hassan Ariff, a former attorney general, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an award-winning environmental lawyer, Asif Nazrul, a top law professor and writer, Adilur Rahman Khan and a prominent human rights activist.
The military’s switching of allegiance from the dictatorial rule of Sheikh Hasina was the decisive factor in her ouster. It has since listened to the popular sentiments of the Bangladeshi masses and acceded to a range of demands from the leaders of the protesting student movement including the position of Dr Yunus to head the caretaker administration.
Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said earlier on Wednesday that he supported Yunus,”I am certain that he will be able to take us through a beautiful democratic process.”
Dr Yunus said at a news briefing after his arrival in the country that his priority would be to restore order. “Bangladesh is a family. We have to unite it.”
He further added, “Bangladesh has created a new victory day. Bangladesh has got a second independence.”
Dr Yunus reassured as he was administered the oath by President Mohammed Shahabuddin the same night, “I will uphold, support and protect the constitution.”
Dr Yunus called for the restoration of order in Bangladesh after weeks of violence that left at least 500 people dead, calling on citizens to guard each other, including minorities who may have come under attack.
“Law and order is our first task… We cannot take a step forward unless we fix the law and order situation,” he said.
“My call to the people is if you have trust in me, then make sure there will be no attacks against anyone, anywhere in the country.”
“Every person is our brother… our task is to protect them,” Yunus said, adding that “the whole of Bangladesh is one big family.”
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