Bangladesh gets interim government after four-day vacuum

An interim government has finally been formed, snapping a four-day vacuum since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through a student-led mass uprising.

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus took oath as the chief advisor to the interim government at the Bangabhaban at 9:20 pm on Thursday, while thirteen other advisors were sworn-in later.

The government consists of 17 advisors in total. However, three advisors could not take oath due to being away from the capital city.

The other advisors are – Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Dr Asif Nazrul, Adilur Rahman Khan, Hasan Arif, Touhid Hossain, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Supradip Chakma, Farida Akhter, Bidhan Ranjan Roy, AFM Khalid Hasan, Noorjahan Begum, Sharmeen Murshid, and Faruk-e-Azam.

Of them, Bidhan Ranjan Roy, Supradip Chakma, and Faruk-e-Azam will take oath later.

Two of the advisors – Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud – are coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination that led the mass uprising against the Sheikh Hasina government.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath, while cabinet secretary Mahbub Hossain conducted the swearing-in ceremony.

Leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), and Krishak Sramik Janata League attended the programme, but there were no representatives from Awami League.

Apart from the political personalities, Armed Forces officers, diplomats, professionals, and other senior government officials were present during the oath.

In the face of a massive student-led mass movement, Sheikh Hasina stepped down as the prime minister and took refuge in India on Monday. Since then, Bangladesh had been without any official government.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to Dr Muhammad Yunus, who has just been sworn-in as the chief advisor to the interim government in Bangladesh.

In a message on X, he expressed hope for a swift return to normalcy in Bangladesh and laid emphasis on ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and other minority communities.

Narendra Modi also reaffirmed his country's commitment to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both nations for peace, security, and development.

Dr Muhammad Yunus took oath as the chief advisor at 9:20 pm. Later, thirteen other advisors were sworn-in as advisors at the Bangabhaban.