INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
mass uprising that left hundreds of people dead and pushed the South Asian nation to the brink of chaos.The decision, announced early on
included military chiefs, organisers of the student protests that helped drive Hasina from power, prominent business leaders and civil
society members.A longtime political opponent of Hasina, Yunus is expected to return soon from Paris, where he is advising Olympic
organisers, media reports said.An economist and banker, he was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work developing microcredit
Yunus has been hailed for bringing thousands out of poverty through Grameen Bank, which he founded in 1983, and which makes small loans to
political parties and other stakeholders, Abedin said
The president had dissolved parliament on Tuesday, clearing the way for an interim administration and new elections.Shahabuddin also ordered
the release of opposition leader Khaleda Zia from house arrest, a longtime Hasina rival who was convicted on corruption charges in
derided as politically motivated
He could not immediately be reached for comment, but a key organiser of the protests, Nahid Islam, said he had agreed to head the interim
administration.View image in fullscreenA view shows a mural of Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina vandalised by protesters, a day
after her resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 6 August 2024
Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/ReutersIslam said protesters would propose more names for the Cabinet and suggested that it would be
difficult for those in power to ignore their wishes.Hasina fled to India by helicopter as protesters defied a military curfew to march on
the capital, with thousands eventually storming her residence and other buildings associated with her party and family.The news that Yunus
meeting with his generals and decided that troops would not open fire on civilians to enforce the lockdown, according to two serving army
officers with knowledge of the discussions, according to Reuters.On Monday, Hasina resigned and fled the country after at least 300 people
were killed in a crackdown on demonstrations that began as student protests against preferential job quotas and swelled into a movement
demanding her downfall.Students said the quota system disproportionately allocated government jobs to the descendants of freedom fighters
from the 1971 independence war
has not publicly explained his decision to withdraw support from Hasina and she could not be reached for comment
said on Tuesday that Hasina apparently decided to resign after a meeting with the leaders of the security forces
She then requested at short notice permission from New Delhi to come to India while Bangladesh authorities simultaneously sought flight
According to the latest information, she is still in India.Hasina, who has ruled Bangladesh for 20 of the last 30 years, was elected to a
fourth term leading the country of 170 million in January, after arresting thousands of opposition leaders and workers
That election was boycotted by her main rivals.With Reuters and Redwan Ahmed in Dhaka
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
