DHAKA – A Muhammad Yunus-led interim government is expected to be finalized Wednesday (today), said Bangladesh protest leaders said, thus executing their key demand.

The statement came a day after President Mohammed Shahabuddin formally announced the decision about his nomination as the chief adviser of interim government.

Shahabuddin made this decision after holding meetings with the student leaders and the three services chiefs. He said the remaining members need to be finalized soon to overcome the current crisis and pave way for elections.

THE CHIEF ADVISER

“It is critical that trust in government be restored quickly,” Yunus told the Financial Times on Wednesday.

However, the 84-year-old 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Nobel laureate made it clear that he was not seeking an elected role or appointment beyond the interim period.

“We need calm, we need a road map to new elections and we need to get to work to prepare for new leadership,” Yunus told the newspaper.

THE DEMANDS

Tuesday also saw the president dissolving the parliament and release of opposition leader Khaleda Zia from years of house arrest.

Yunus was appointed for this role after the protest leaders had warned that they would not accept a military-led setup.

They had urged the president to dissolve parliament and warned of “taking tough steps” in case of a failure.

Only those nominated by them should lead the interim government, they said and invited Yunus to accept the responsibility.

Around 400 people were killed that erupted over the job quota protests, which forced former prime minister Hasina Wajid to tender her resignation.

Immediately afterwards, Hasina Wajid fled to India. However, her future is unclear. There reports about she aiming to leaving for Europe where she wants to take political asylum.

The consequences of a deadly government crackdown mean that she is no more the head of government after a 15-year-long stint. Her first term starting in 1990s lasted for five years.

THE REFUSAL

In an exclusive report, Reuters says Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman late on Sunday reached out to Hasina Wajid’s office to convey that the soldiers won’t be able to implement the lockdown she had called for.

Quoting sources, it said the message followed a meeting with his generals. They decided that troops would not open fire on civilians to enforce a curfew.

The nationwide curfew had been imposed after at least 91 people were killed and hundreds injured in nationwide clashes on Sunday.

“Zaman, who is related to Hasina by marriage, had showed signs of wavering in his support for the prime minister on Saturday, when he sat on an ornate wooden chair and addressed hundreds of uniformed officers in a town hall meeting. The military later made some details of that discussion public.”

It was the first indication that Bangladesh’s army would not forcefully suppress the violent demonstrations, leaving Hasina vulnerable.