August 8 :
Congressman Ro Khanna, an Indian-American from Washington, DC, has called on Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to respect the rule of law and put an end to the violent attacks on temples and political figures. Ro Khanna's comments arrive as the political climate in Bangladesh is turning, following Sheikh Hasina's resignation on August 5 in response to growing protests.
Students initially called for an end to government employment quotas, but the protests quickly turned anti-government. "The students of Bangladesh had only human rights concerns against Prime Minister Hasina," Ro Khanna told X. I'm glad she left. It is wicked, though, to attack Hindus with violence. To protect temples and individuals of all faiths and political persuasions from violent attacks, Prime Minister Yunus must enforce the rule of law.
According to Dhaka Tribune, President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the parliament the day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and departed the country. This was done to allow for the formation of an interim administration.
Those appointed to serve under the interim administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus will swear in this evening. According to The Daily Star, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, chief of the Bangladesh Army, announced on Wednesday that the oath-taking ceremony, which is expected to be attended by some 400 dignitaries, is scheduled to take place at 8:00 pm (local time).
The 15-person interim government might be formed, according to Waker-Uz-Zaman. Nevertheless, he refrained from identifying them or discussing their potential government tenure. Wednesday, he addressed media at the Army Headquarters.
Since things are looking up in Bangladesh, General Waker-Uz-Zaman is hoping that everything will get back to normal in the next three or four days. He promised that everyone responsible for the crimes of the past few days will face the full force of the law.
According to The Daily Star, General Waker-Uz-Zaman expressed his satisfaction after speaking with Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday.
It was a pleasure conversing with him, he stated. In my opinion, he was eager to step up and take charge. I have faith that he will lead us to democracy and that it will be beneficial for us. The idea of appointing Yunus as interim head of state has been discussed with several political groups and protest organizers, according to General Waker-Uz-Zaman. According to him, they proposed the idea to the president of Bangladesh after speaking with him.
He wished Yunus well in his endeavors and hoped that all student groups and political parties would rally behind him. He pointed out, "The navy chief, the air force chief and I ... We all will support him."
In the absence of traffic police and clean-up efforts, the chief of the Bangladeshi army expressed gratitude to the students and volunteers who were attempting to keep traffic moving on city streets. His only plea was that they keep up the excellent job. He said that, in response to his plea, students took action to put an end to looting and other forms of crime perpetrated outside of Dhaka.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman addressed the public's worries about the recent looting and vandalism by saying he is responsible for everyone and asking political leaders to work with him on this. He added that such incidents could have happened during the change of leadership.
These political figures promised me they will work with me as closely as possible, he added. Some events did occur, but there are good explanations for them. Nonetheless, things are returning to normal.
Police officers were nowhere to be seen, and General Waker-Uz-Zaman remarked that the army simply could not step in. The army, he claimed, was doing its best to save thousands of lives, while police were protecting key locations like the airport.
He expressed regret, "I'm very sorry and embarrassed for what has taken place in the first one or two days." Personnel from the air force and navy were also working, he said.
"We have tried our best," stated the chief of the Bangladeshi army. However, a few occurrences did take place. We simply lacked the necessary strength. The empty spot will be filled without a doubt after the police force undergoes its overhaul.
"However, I would like to emphasize that we will make every effort to hold individuals responsible for these unlawful actions accountable," he stated, as reported by The Daily Star. The president said, "All the personnel we have in the military have already been deployed and they are working." in response to a question about his intentions to raise the number of forces on the ground.
