Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus gestures while speaking to the media upon arriving at Charles de Gaulle's airport in Roissy, north of Paris, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.AP/PTI
New Delhi/Dhaka: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh will take the oath on Thursday, Army Chief Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman said. Addressing a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday, Gen. Zaman said the interim government is likely to be sworn in at 8 pm on Thursday and the advisory council may have 15 members. Meanwhile, amid large-scale violence following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government, Mr Yunus Yunus appealed to his countrymen to shun violence and “make the best use of their new victory”.
In the wake of the total collapse of law and order in Bangladesh, including its capital Dhaka, families of Indian diplomats and non-essential staff of the Indian high commission (HCI) in Dhaka returned on a commercial flight to New Delhi on Wednesday. All Indian diplomats continue to remain stationed at the Indian high commission.
According to reports, a special Air India flight brought 205 people, including six infants, from Dhaka to New Delhi on Wednesday morning.
The Indian government sources on Wednesday said, "The high commission of India in Dhaka continues to remain functional. Our diplomats and officials continue in Dhaka. Non-essential staff and families have returned this morning... All the helplines of HCI Dhaka are working."
The Bangladesh Army had taken charge following the resignation and departure of Ms Hasina, who had fled her country to India on Monday.
The beleaguered former Prime Minister continues to stay put in New Delhi at a safe location. There are indications that Ms Hasina will continue to remain in Delhi till she is able to fly to a safe European destination amid indications of reported hesitation and reluctance on the part of Britain to grant her asylum, citing rules.
Ms Hasina's US-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy has reportedly said she is going to stay in Delhi “for a little while”. Ms Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana, who also fled her country along with her, and her daughter Saima Wazed, who is the World Health Organisation regional director for Southeast Asia and is based in New Delhi, are accompanying her.
In a video interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Mr Joy, when asked about Ms Hasina's reported plans to seek asylum in a third country, said, "These are all rumours. She has not made a decision on that yet. She is going to stay in Delhi for a little while. My sister is with her. So she is not alone.”
Mr. Joy, when asked if he has any plans to join politics, laughed it off by saying, “There is no such plan right now. This is the third time a coup d'état was staged against our family.”
Amid speculation that Ms Hasina could also consider seeking asylum in Finland, she, according to some reports, is also considering settling down in a Gulf country in case she is unable to fly to Europe.
According to reports, Ms Hasina's niece and Ms. Rehana's daughter Tulip Siddiq is a member of the British Parliament.
As reported, Britain, according to media reports, has made it clear that it has no provision in its immigration rules for someone to be allowed to travel to seek asylum or temporary refuge. It has also been reportedly suggested that those who need asylum should claim it in the first safe country they reach. This, in Ms Hasina's case, will then mean India, which could put both her and New Delhi in a quandary.
The British government, according to reports, has indicated that Ms Hasina may not get legal protection against any possible probe into the massive violent protests in her country.
Ms Hasina has been a close friend of New Delhi for decades. On Tuesday, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar had told an all-party meeting that the former Bangladesh PM is in a state of shock after her sudden ouster from her country and that the Indian government is giving her time to recover before it speaks to her over various issues, including her future plans.
New Delhi is expected to continue seeking engagement with a new government in Bangladesh, whether interim or post-elections, and therefore could be wary that a new government in Dhaka may not take kindly to Ms Hasina being given shelter for a long time in India.
On Wednesday, Mr Yunus, the 84-year-old economist and the designated head of Bangladesh's interim government, fervently appealed to everybody "to stay calm" and "refrain from all kinds of violence" as the country witnessed a major reshuffle in the security establishment following the ouster of the Hasina government.
Mr Yunus, whose name was first proposed for the top job by the coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination movement, congratulated the "brave students" who took the lead in making what he called "our second Victory Day possible".
"Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes," said Mr Yunus, who will return home from Paris on Thursday to take charge.
"I fervently appeal to everybody to stay calm. Please refrain from all kinds of violence."
He appealed to all students, political parties and non-political people to stay calm.
"This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations," he said in a statement.
"Let us not miss the chance by going into any senseless violence. Violence is our enemy. Please don't create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country," he said. His appeal comes as the Army chief acknowledged that there were incidents of looting and anarchy after Ms Hasina's ouster. He said that the police forces became "totally dysfunctional" and that it is not possible on the part of the military, along with the Navy and Air Force troops, to "fill up the void".
Mr Yunus was on Tuesday appointed as the head of the interim government by President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
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