Bangladesh parliament dissolved, Md Yunus agrees to be chief adviser for interim govt

The Bangladesh parliament was dissolved on Tuesday, following intense student protests demanding the formation of a new interim government. The Parliament’s office confirmed the dissolution as student protest coordinators had set a deadline of 3 pm (GST) for this action. The students had warned of a "strict program" and called for "revolutionary students to be ready" if their demands were not met.

Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus has agreed to be the chief adviser for the forthcoming interim government, a role aligned with the protest leaders’ demands as stated in a Facebook video released this morning. Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who assumed command yesterday, was expected to meet the protest coordinators today, according to an army statement.

The student protests began in opposition to a 30 percent quota in government jobs for those who fought in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The demonstrations escalated into violent clashes, with over 300 lives lost till Sunday and another six fatalities reported on Monday. Sheikh Hasina had to resign from the post of Prime Minister on Monday following which, she was brought to India.