Any military or military-backed government in Bangladesh would not be acceptable, protesting student leaders said on Tuesday, emphasizing that only a government approved by the student movement would be allowed to rule the country.
“No government other than the one proposed by the students will be accepted. As we have said, no military government, or one backed by the military, or a government of fascists, will be accepted,” student leader Nahid Islam was quoted by Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star as saying in a video address.
Protests and demonstrations began in Dhaka and across the country after the announcement of a multi-day “non-cooperation action” against the authorities, which was launched on Sunday by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Clashes between anti-government students, police, and government supporters escalated into riots on Monday and the storming of the official resident of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, forcing her to go into exile.
Nahid Islam, leader of the protesters, urged Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin to take immediate steps to restore law and order in the country, saying that the composition of an interim government should be announced at the earliest.
“We have decided that the interim government would be formed in which internationally renowned Nobel Laureate Dr Mohammad Yunus, who has wide acceptability, would be the chief adviser,” he said, adding that Yunus had already given his consent to the offer.
Until a new government is formed, the students should remain on the streets to “safeguard their uprising,” Nahid said, adding that the student movement had nothing to do with acts of violence, attacks on temples, looting and sabotage that took place during the protests.
“We are calling on everyone to take to the streets…The ‘Committee to Safeguard Public Property and Communal Harmony’ formed and led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has announced that they will guard every locality. We have to protect our minority communities, we have to protect our public property and we have to protect our country,” the protest leader said.
On Monday, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister left the official residence in the capital of Dhaka for a safer place. News outlets reported that thousands of protesters had stormed the palace of Hasina, who has left Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshi president held a meeting on Monday with representatives of political parties, civil associations and commanders of the three branches of the armed forces, where it was decided to dissolve parliament in order to form an interim government.
