Bangladesh students expect interim government members to be finalised

7/8/2024 12:18

        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.
        
        Bangladesh's president appointed Yunus as the head of the interim government late on Tuesday, meeting a key demand of students, and said the remaining members need to be finalised soon to overcome the current crisis, according to a statement from his office.
        
        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.
        
        A spokesperson said, the interim government is also expected to hold elections soon after taking charge. Yunus is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday after a medical procedure in Paris.
        
        Nahid Islam, one of the main leaders of the student movement, told reporters after President Mohammed Shahabuddin's announcement that students have recommended 10-15 members for the interim government in an initial list they shared with the president.