Coordinators of Bangladesh’s student protest movement were due to meet army chief Gen. Waqar-uz-Zaman after the military announced it would form a caretaker government following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
Prime Minister Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh on Monday after hundreds were killed in a crackdown on demonstrations that began as student protests against preferential employment quotas and escalated into a movement calling for her resignation. There was celebration on Monday after Hasina’s resignation.
Earlier on Tuesday, the United States praised the Bangladeshi military’s actions. “The United States has long called for respect for Bangladesh’s democratic rights and expects the formation of an interim government to be democratic and inclusive. We applaud the restraint shown by the military today,” a White House spokesman said.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the interim government should seek to hold swift democratic elections. “Prime Minister Hasina’s violent response to legitimate protests has made it impossible for her to continue governing. I commend the brave protesters and call for justice for the victims.”
Hasina was elected for a fourth consecutive term in January elections boycotted by the opposition. The US State Department said in January that the elections were not free and fair, adding that it was concerned by reports of voting irregularities and violence.
Hasina’s government has been accused by human rights groups of consolidating its power base, including through the killing of opposition activists, and misusing state institutions to suppress dissent.
The latest student-led protests began over a quota system that unfairly allocates government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 war of independence.
The recent protests and crackdown have led to the worst violence since Bangladesh was founded more than 50 years ago. Speaking at a news conference at army headquarters, Zaman promised an investigation into the deaths.
Coordinators of Tuesday’s student protests called for the formation of a new interim government with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus as its chief adviser, according to a video posted on Facebook.
Yunus was sentenced to six months in prison in January along with three others for violating labour laws at Grameen Telecom, a non-profit company he founded in 1983. In June, Yunus told the Guardian that he had faced pressure from the Bangladeshi government for two decades over his work, which he said helped improve the lives of millions of poor people, particularly women.
Meanwhile, the World Bank said it was assessing the impact of events in Bangladesh on its lending programme but remained committed to supporting “the development aspirations of the Bangladeshi people”.
The World Bank’s board of directors in June approved two projects totaling $900 million to help Bangladesh strengthen its financial sector policies and improve urban infrastructure.
The World Bank was one of the first development partners to support Bangladesh after its independence and has since committed about $41 billion in grants and interest-free loans.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
