Dr Yunus to lead the interim govt

A decision has been taken to form an interim government, with Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus as the chief advisor.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the Students Against Discrimination leaders with the president, chiefs of three armed forces, and two Dhaka University teachers at Bangabhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday night.

The president's press secretary Joynal Abedin confirmed the development to Prothom Alo, saying that the other members of the government will be selected through consultations with different political parties.

Earlier, a 13-member team of the Students Against Discrimination went to the Bangabhaban to hold a meeting with the president and chiefs of the staff at Bangabhaban.

Dhaka University law department professor Asif Nazrul and IER department professor Tanzim Uddin are also present in the meeting.

Offices at the Bangladesh Secretariat were open today. Most of the employees and officers, who attended the offices, have passed time discussing the current situation of the country among themselves. Many were seen panicked. Portrait of Sheikh Hasina, who resigned from the post of prime minister, has been removed from the rooms of chief of different offices.

Former state minister for post, telecommunication and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak has been barred from leaving the country by airport authorities.

Sources from the airport authorities said Palak, along with his two aides, went to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 3:00pm Wednesday. He was barred from boarding the plane and taken under custody in immigration.

A major reshuffle has taken place in the top positions of Bangladesh Army, with Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan relieved from service.

In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) directorate also said Lt Gen Saiful Alam has been stationed at the foreign ministry, while Lt Gen Mujibur Rahman has been appointed as GOC at Army Training and Doctrine Command, Lt Gen Ahammad Tabrej Shams Chowdhury as quarter master general, Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shamim as chief of general staff, Lt Gen Mohammad Shahinul Haque as commandant of NDC, and Maj Gen ASM Ridwanur Rahman as director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC).

The release was issued in the afternoon on Tuesday.

A 13-member team of the Students Against Discrimination is holding a meeting with the president and chiefs of the staff at Bangabhaban. Md Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the platform confirmed this to Prothom Alo. Dhaka University law department professor Asif Nazrul and IER department professor Tanzim Uddin are also present in the meeting.

The student leaders will speak to newspersons after the meeting, Nahid Islam said.

Bangladesh Ansar and VDP have been given the charge of maintaining traffic in Dhaka city, and ensuring security at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and police stations across the country. Bangladesh Ansar and VDP assistant director (VDP training, additional PR official) Md Rubel Hossain disclosed this in a text message.

The heads of European Union missions in Bangladesh have expressed their “concerns” about reported incidents of attacks on the people and temples of minority communities in the country.

The ambassadors also welcomed the authority’s steps to free those arrested during the ongoing students’ movement and safety of the minority communities.

The European Union said this in a post in its X (former twitter) handle European Union in Bangladesh Tuesday afternoon.

The EU post said, “EU Heads of Mission in Dhaka are very concerned about incoming reports of multiple attacks against places of worship and members of religious, ethnic and other minorities in Bangladesh. We welcome the endeavours by the student movement and others to protect minorities.”

“We urgently appeal to all parties to exercise restraint, reject communal violence and uphold the fundamental human rights of all Bangladeshis,” the statement added.

Former president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and former member of parliament AK Azad went to Bangabhaban to meet the President today at 8:00 pm.

Before leaving, he told reporters that the factories will open tomorrow, Wednesday. Before that, the safety of the factory must be ensured.

AK Azad also said that there is vandalism and arson in various places. The police are unable to ensure security and without that, it will not be possible to open the factory. The police right now are unable to provide security in factories. In order to keep the country's economy running, businesspersons must be given security.

When AK Azad entered the Bangabhaban, the president was holding an emergency meeting with 13 coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement where the heads of the three staff were also present.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will hold a rally in the capital’s Naya Paltan tomorrow, Wednesday. BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman will address the rally as the chief guest.

The BNP announced the programme in a press release on Tuesday. It said apart from Tarique Rahman, several BNP central leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir would address the rally too.

BNP sources said Tarique Rahman will address the rally on time.

Every immigration post across the country is open. High profile individuals including former ministers, MPs, political leaders, government officials and newspersons are being returned as they failed to meet the conditions as per the suggestion from the intelligence.