Bangladesh LIVE: Must control conspirators who are creating chaos, says Yunus after swearing-in
A 16-member council of advisers was announced to assist Yunus in running the state's affairs. Md. Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, two key organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, were also part of the advisory council.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath on Thursday (August 8) as the head of an interim government, replacing Sheikh Hasina.
Yunus, 84, was administered the oath of office by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at a ceremony at the presidential palace 'Bangabhaban'.
A 16-member council of advisers was announced to assist Yunus in running the state's affairs. Md. Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, two key organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, were also part of the advisory council.
"As the first call of duty, we will control the conspirators...who have created an anarchic situation and panic to upset our freedom," Yunus said in a televised address shortly after taking oath. He was sworn in as the chief advisor - a position equivalent to prime minister.
Leaders of political parties, judges, representatives of various organizations, chiefs of the three services, inspector general of police, senior military and civil officers, diplomats including Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma, freedom fighters, senior journalists and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.
Women's rights activist Farida Akhtar, right-wing party Hefazat-e-Islam's deputy chief AFM Khalid Hossain, Grameen Telecom trustee Nurjahan Begum, freedom fighter Sharmeen Murshid, chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Supradip Chakma, Prof Bidhan Ranjan Roy and former foreign secretary Touhid Hossain are among the advisory council members.
Roy, Chakma and Bir Pratik Faruk-e-Azam could not take the oath as they were outside Dhaka.
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Live Updates
- 8 Aug 2024 8:52 AM GMT
232 people killed since the fall of Hasina govt, says report
At least 232 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina on Monday, according to a media report on Thursday, taking the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.
Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and fled the country after weeks of tumultuous student protests against her regime.
A total of 232 were reported dead as of Wednesday evening since Hasina's ouster, Prothom Alo newspaper reported.
Before this, some 328 persons were killed in the clashes centering a movement around the quota system in government jobs from July 16 to August 4. In all, some 560 people died over the last 23 days.
Some 21 more persons were killed as of Wednesday. Most of the 232 people died on Tuesday. Some of them died while undergoing treatment.
In Gazipur, some 209 inmates fled from the Kashimpur high-security prison on Tuesday. The prison guards opened fire to stop the inmates from fleeing. Six people, including three militants, were killed in the incident, prison sources said.
- 8 Aug 2024 8:44 AM GMT
Muhammad Yunus is back home!
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returned to Bangladesh from Paris on Thursday to take oath as the head of Bangladesh's interim government. This was three days after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and fled the country following widespread protests against her regime.
Yunus, 84, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on microlending, was designated head of the interim government after President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament on Tuesday.
Yunus was in Paris for the Olympic Games. He returned to the country via Dubai.
An Emirates flight (EK-582) carrying Yunus landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:10pm local time.
Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, senior officials, student leaders and civil society members welcomed him at the airport. He will go directly to Bangabhaban, the Prime Minister's official residence.
This interim government will lead the country for a certain period and oversee the election to transition power to an elected government.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath of office to the new government.
The Army chief said the oath-taking ceremony will likely be held in the evening in the presence of some 400 dignitaries.
He hinted that the interim government may have 15 members for now. He, however, did not disclose their names and the possible tenure of the government.
- 8 Aug 2024 7:34 AM GMT
BSF prevents hundreds of Bangladeshis from entering India: Report
There are news reports that hundreds of Bangladeshis gathered near the border in a bid to enter India, but they were prevented from doing so by India's Border Security Force (BSF). - 8 Aug 2024 5:19 AM GMT
US Congressman Krishnamoorthi condemns violence
Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has condemned the recent violence in Bangladesh, including the brutal targeting of Hindus, saying an interim government that will be sworn in should end the unrest across the country and bring its perpetrators to justice.
An interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus is set to take oath in Bangladesh on Thursday (August 8).
“As Bangladesh prepares to swear in its interim government, I urge all government officials, the new administration and police chief, and the people of Bangladesh to do all they can to end the violence that has emerged across the country, including the brutal targeting of the country’s Hindu minority, their homes, businesses, and their temples,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement on Wednesday (August 7).
- 8 Aug 2024 5:15 AM GMT
Heartbroken by loss of lives, that I cannot hug my mother: Sheikh Hasina’s daughter
Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed on Thursday (August 8) said she was "heartbroken" by the loss of lives in her country and that she could not "see or hug" her mother during such a difficult time.
"Heartbroken with the loss of life in my country Bangladesh that I love. So heartbroken that I cannot see and hug my mother during this difficult time. I remain committed to my role as RD," Wazed said in a post on X.
Wazed is the World Health Organization's regional director for Southeast Asia.
- 8 Aug 2024 5:03 AM GMT
Ready to work with Bangladesh interim govt: US
The United States on Wednesday (August 7) said it is ready to work with the interim government of Bangladesh as the country charts a democratic future for its people.
"We continue to monitor developments in Bangladesh, and we obviously have seen the appointment of Muhammad Yunus as the leader of an interim government," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.
"We think the interim government will play a vital role in establishing long-term peace and political stability in Bangladesh," Miller said responding to questions on the fast-moving development in Bangladesh.
- 8 Aug 2024 4:57 AM GMT
Indo-Bangla trade resumes from Petrapole land port amid tight security
Trade between India and Bangladesh through Petrapole land port in West Bengal, resumed Thursday morning (August 8) amid tight security, officials said.
The two South Asian neighbours' trade came to a halt on August 5 following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh and it partially resumed on Wednesday (August 7) through several land ports in West Bengal, except Petrapole. Bilateral trade via Petrapole is the highest among all land ports shared with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia, and India is the second-largest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia. India's exports to Bangladesh dipped to USD 11 billion in 2023-24 from USD 12.21 billion in 2022-23. Imports also declined to USD 1.84 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 2 billion in 2022-23.
India's main exports to Bangladesh include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum oil, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, and vehicles. In contrast, Bangladesh's exports to India are concentrated in a few categories, with textiles and garments comprising 56 per cent of their shipments.
- 8 Aug 2024 4:35 AM GMT
Odisha steps up vigil on sea to prevent illegal entry from Bangladesh
The Odisha government has stepped up vigil along its 480-km coastline to prevent influx of people from turmoil hit Bangladesh, a senior police officer said.
The state is located about 200 kilometres away from the Bangladesh coast.
“People from Bangladesh used to (illegally) enter Odisha using small boats. According to information received through different channels, it is learnt that many criminal elements have come out of jails during the unrest in Bangladesh. Those elements may try to sneak into India,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Sanjay Kumar, said. The priority is to check the entry of such people into India, he said.
“We have put our 18 marine police stations on high alert. The ADG coastal security has opened a control room and the state has deployed all employees, boats and other equipment at strategic locations,” Kumar said.
The additional director general of police (coastal security) has been in touch with the Coast Guard and Navy, he said.
Kumar said, “Our borders should not be utilised for anti-India and anti-Bangladesh activities. We have been keeping a close watch on social media and other channels to get additional information.” The state government has asked the superintendents of police of all coastal districts to strengthen patrolling, especially during night hours, to prevent entry of illegal immigrants. Odisha's focus is now concentrated on the districts like Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak, another senior official said.
