Bangladesh student leaders, who initiated the movement against job quotas that evolved into a call for Hasina’s resignation, are advocating for Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus to be the chief advisor of the interim government. According to local media, Nahid Islam, a key coordinator of the student movement, stated that Muhammad Yunus has agreed to take on this role at the students’ request to save the country.
Bangladesh is on the brink of forming a new interim government after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amidst widespread protests. The military has taken control, and the nation awaits further developments.
Late on Monday evening, Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin chaired a pivotal meeting to discuss the establishment of a military-backed caretaker government. The meeting included Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the heads of the navy and airforce, and leaders of several opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
In a national address, General Waker announced Hasina’s resignation and the Army’s intention to form an interim government. “The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence,” said General Waker.
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Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was reportedly given a 45-minute ultimatum to step down. After resigning, she departed Dhaka on a military aircraft bound for India, accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana. Upon landing at the Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, she met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Sources indicate that Hasina may travel to London to seek political asylum, though there is no confirmation yet on whether the UK has offered asylum.
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On Tuesday, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar chaired an all-party meeting to discuss the fall of Hasina’s government and the military takeover in Bangladesh. Jaishankar briefed party leaders on the situation and outlined the Indian government’s response to the crisis.
In response to Hasina’s departure, Western powers have called for calm in Bangladesh. The United States urged all parties to “refrain from further violence,” while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a “peaceful, orderly, and democratic transition.”
Sheikh Hasina had been attempting to quell the nationwide protests against her government since early July. However, she fled the country after brutal clashes on Sunday resulted in nearly 100 deaths, raising the death toll from the anti-government demonstrations to over 400.
