Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus appointed as head of Bangladesh govt

Dhaka: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as head of Bangladesh's interim government, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. The announcement came from Joynal Abedin, the President’s Press Secretary.

The appointment decision emerged following a discussion between President Shahabuddin and the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

According to Joynal Abedin, the finalization of the remaining members of the interim government will occur after consultations with various political parties, as mentioned in the Dhaka Tribune report.

Earlier, a delegation of 13 members from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement visited Bangabhaban to discuss the current situation in Bangladesh and the structure of the interim government, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. They arrived at Bangabhaban on Tuesday at 6 pm (local time) to meet with the President and the chiefs of the three armed forces.

Following the resignation and departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of the national parliament to pave the way for an interim administration, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.

A meeting that included President Shahabuddin, the heads of the three armed forces, political party leaders, civil society representatives, and leaders from the Students Against Discrimination movement led to the decision to dissolve the parliament, according to a press release from the President’s office.

The press release also stated that Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been released from prison. It mentioned that the process of releasing individuals detained in connection with the student movement and various cases from July 1 to August 5 has commenced, with many already freed.

In a statement on Monday, the President's press team confirmed that a meeting chaired by Shahabuddin had "unanimously decided" to release Khaleda Zia immediately.

"The meeting also decided to free all individuals arrested during the student protests," the President's statement concluded.