DHAKA – Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Wednesday dissolved the parliament, thus meeting a key demand of the protesting students.
On the other hand, former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia has been released from years of house arrest.
“She is now freed,” a Bangladesh National Party (BNP) party spokesperson said, a day after the president ordered to release her.
Earlier in the day, the protest leaders had warned that they would not accept a military-led interim government, as the South Asian nation grapples with the ouster of Hasina Wajid.
They urged the president to dissolve parliament by 15:00 local time (09:00 GMT) today. Otherwise, they warned of “taking tough steps”.
A Facebook shows their leader Nahid Islam condemning “the arson [and] communal violence taking place in various parts of the country.
“We need to be prepared to prevent people from hijacking the movement,” he said.
In this connection, the student group said they would present the names of their proposed interim government “shortly”.
DEADLY MONDAY
His comments about violence came, at least 24 people were reportedly killed a hotel was set ablaze in Jessore, a city in southwestern Bangladesh.
The hotel is owned by Shahin Chakladar, a local Awami League leader.
Meanwhile, there are also disturbing reports people attacking those associated with the former ruling party and damaging the properties of Hindu population.
Read more: Hasina Wajid resigns, flees Bangladesh
Overall tally compiled by local media suggests that Monday was deadliest day since protests erupted in the country two weeks ago. It is said that at least 100 people lost their lives during the day.
Over 400 people have been killed in Bangladesh in violence after the job quota protests turned into an anti-government movement.
NO BARGAIN
At the same time, they want to see Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government.
“Any government other than the one we recommended would not be accepted,” Islam said. “We wouldn’t accept any army-supported or army-led government.”
“We have also had discussions with Muhammad Yunus and he has agreed to take on this responsibility at our invitation,” Islam added.
MUHAMMAD YUNUS
Yunus, 84, has long been regarded by Sheikh Hasina as a political rival.
Globally, he is known as the “banker to the poor” for lifting millions out of poverty with his pioneering use of microloans.
Yunus and his Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in 2006.
However, Hasina describes him as a “bloodsucker” of the poor and accused his Grameen Bank of charging exorbitant interest rates.
In January, a court sentenced Yunus to six months for violating the country’s labor laws – which he has criticized as being politically motivated.
REMAIN PEACEFUL
According to media reports, all the political parties are also backing the student protesters, including the BNP which extended full support to them.
The party didn’t propose any name for replacing Hasina Wajid as prime minister, but old a press conference on Wednesday that their leader had urged the people to remain peaceful during the transition process.
INDIA DOESN’T WANT AN UNSTABLE NEIGHBOR
Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar briefed the country’s major political parties on the Bangladesh crisis.
Earlier on Monday, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Hasina reached India.
On the other hand, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor told Indian media that New Delhi doesn’t want an “unstable or an unfriendly neighbor”.
“As far as India is concerned, the first and most important signal we need to send to the people of Bangladesh is that we stand with them,” he said.
“There are some understandable concerns in India about the increasing influence of the Jamaat-e-Islami, which has taken a very hostile attitude to India in the past.”
He also talked about alleged foreign meddling in Bangladesh.
“India must reassure everybody that we are not an unfriendly power and we have no desire to dominate or control what’s happening in Bangladesh. We would like to be helpful. That would be the kind of message that I believe we should convey both publicly and privately,” Tharoor said.
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