Bangladesh’s incoming interim leader calls for calm ahead of swearing-in on Thursday
Bangladesh’s incoming interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, asked his people to stay calm and get ready to rebuild the nation after weeks of violence that left hundreds killed, following an uprising that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee to neighbouring India.
In his first statement since he was named as the head of an interim government, Yunus congratulated the students for “taking the lead in making our Second Victory Day possible.” He also appealed to them, members of political parties and other people to stay calm.
Referring to acts of violence that happened after Hasina’s resignation, Yunus said, “Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country.”
Bangladesh’s military chief said Wednesday that the interim government headed by Yunus would be sworn in on Thursday night as he returns from Paris to take over the administration and try to restore stability.
Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman said in a televised address late Wednesday afternoon that those responsible for the violence since Hasina’s resignation would be brought to justice.
The military chief, flanked by the chiefs of navy and air force, said that he spoke to Yunus and would receive him at the airport on Thursday.
Zaman said he was hopeful that Yunus would take the situation to a “beautiful democratic” process.
‘No revenge,’ says former PM
Speaking to reporters in Paris, Yunus said, “I’m looking forward to going back home and seeing what’s happening there, and how we can organize ourselves to get out of the trouble that we are in.”
Asked when elections would be held, he put his hands up as if to indicate it was too early to say. “I’ll go and talk to them. I’m just fresh in this whole area.”
Earlier on Wednesday, ailing opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia urged all not to follow the path of destruction in Bangladesh as she addressed her supporters from a hospital bed. It was her first public speech since 2018, when she was convicted of corruption charges and jailed.
“No destruction, no anger, and no revenge, we need love and peace to rebuild our country,” she told suppoters at a rally in Dhaka via a video link.
“I have been released now. I want to thank the brave people who were in a do-or-die struggle to make possible the impossible,” she said. “This victory brings us a new possibility to come back from the debris of plunder, corruption and ill-politics. We need to reform this country as a prosperous one.”
The development came as Bangladesh was preparing to form an interim government after a mass uprising that left hundreds of people dead and hundreds of others injured.
Streets calm
The student leaders, who organized the weeks of mass protests, said they would unveil a full list of the new cabinet on Wednesday. The streets of Bangladesh were calm after reports of violence against supporters of Hasina, police and minority communities that followed soon after she fled to India.
The rally by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party came a day after her release from house arrest, amid a new political environment in the country.
Zia’s freedom is largely symbolic as the ailing leader has been staying outside the prison under an executive order of the former government but was not allowed to travel abroad. Her son and the acting head of the party, Tarique Rahman, also addressed the crowd online from London, where he has been living in exile since 2008.
Rahman faces several criminal cases and was convicted of corruption and a grenade attack, charges dismissed by supporters as politically motivated.
Zia, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2006, was convicted on corruption charges in 2018 and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Her party said the charges were designed to keep her away from politics.
Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a symbolic figure who is acting as the chief executive now under the constitution, dissolved parliament on Tuesday, clearing the path for an interim administration that is expected to schedule new elections but it’s not clear when those elections will take place.
2006 Nobel Peace Prize
Shahabuddin named Yunus as the head of an interim government, in consultation with the army and student leaders. He has been a longtime opponent of Hasina.
An economist and banker, Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work developing microcredit markets. He has been hailed for bringing thousands out of poverty through Grameen Bank, which he founded in 1983, and which makes small loans to businesspeople who wouldn’t qualify for regular bank loans.
In his first statement since he was named as the head of an interim government, Yunus on Wednesday congratulated the students for “taking the lead in making our Second Victory Day possible.” He also appealed to them, members of political parties and other people to stay calm.
Referring to acts of violence that happened after Hasina’s resignation, Yunus said: “Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country.”
Published at Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:10:17 +0000
Far-right groups target 30 locations as U.K. braces for another night of violent rioting
British police are gearing up for another night of violence amid concerns that far-right groups plan to target as many as 30 locations around the United Kingdom on Wednesday following a week of rioting and disorder.
Authorities are mobilizing about 6,000 specially trained officers to respond to disorder throughout the U.K., and London’s Metropolitan Police Service said it would do “everything in our power” to protect the capital.
“We know about the events planned by hateful and divisive groups across the capital,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine of the Met said late Tuesday. “They’ve made their intention to cause disruption and division very clear … We will not tolerate this on our streets.”
U.K. cities and towns across have been wracked by violence for the past week as angry mobs egged on by far-right extremists have clashed with police and counter-demonstrators sparked by the spread of misinformation about the identity of the suspect in a stabbing rampage that killed three young girls in the seaside community of Southport. The suspect was falsely identified as an immigrant and a Muslim.
The U.K. government wants social media companies to do more to stop the spread of disinformation after it was spread on platforms like X and sparked violent protests.
Rioters spouting anti-immigrant slogans have attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum-seekers, with reports emerging of violent counter-attacks in some communities.
Call to ‘mask up’ for protests
Internet chat groups have shared a list of law firms specializing in immigration and advice agencies as possible targets for gatherings Wednesday. The messages have invited people to “mask up” if attending.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a second consecutive meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency response committee on Tuesday to co-ordinate the response to the crisis, which he has described as “far-right thuggery.”
Police have already made more than 400 arrests around the country, and the government has pledged to prosecute and jail those responsible for the disorder.
“This is the swift action we’re taking. If you provoke violent disorder on our streets or online, you will face the full force of the law,” Starmer said in a post Wednesday on X.
Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley says protesters expected to gather in U.K. cities today can expect to be charged if they become violent, even if that means using anti-terrorism laws.
“It is completely unacceptable, regardless of your political views, to intimidate any sector of lawful activity, and we will not let the immigration-asylum system be intimidated,” said Mark Rowley, chief of London’s Metropolitan Police.
“They’re operating lawfully. The thugs and criminals who are targeting them are not, and we’ll stop that,” he said.
Violent far-right anti-immigration protests spread across the U.K over the weekend, fuelled in part by online misinformation about the suspect in a deadly stabbing attack at a children’s dance party.
The government has also announced new measures to protect mosques.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a post on X that the police, city hall and community leaders are working to protect targeted buildings and places of worship. Those involved in the disorder will feel the full force of the law, he said.
“I know the shocking scenes have left many Muslims and minority ethnic communities scared and fearful, so I ask my fellow Londoners to check on their friends and neighbours and show them that care and compassion is what Londoners are all about,” he said. “In London, we have zero-tolerance for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of hate.”
We will do everything in our power to protect London and its communities.<br><br>We are proud to stand together against the vile and criminal behaviour seen in recent weeks.<br><br>Our message to anyone who plans to breed disorder is clear – you will face the full force of the law.<br><br>📰🔽 <a href=”https://t.co/aydp7OQseH”>pic.twitter.com/aydp7OQseH</a>
—@metpoliceuk
Published at Wed, 07 Aug 2024 10:27:29 +0000
