Bangladesh: Yunus pleads for calm amidst rush to restore law and order

Nobel laureate Prof. Mohammad Yunus, the designated head of Bangladesh's interim government, on Wednesday fervently appealed to everybody "to stay calm" and "refrain from all kinds of violence" as the country witnessed a major reshuffle in the security establishment following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.

Army chief Gen. Wakar-Uz-Zaman announced that the interim government will take oath on Thursday at around 8.00 pm. He said the advisory council may have 15 members. Zaman added that armed forces will provide all possible support to Yunus.

Yunus, whose name was first proposed for the top job by coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination movement, congratulated the "brave students" who took the lead in making what he described as "our Second Victory Day possible".

"Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes," said the 84-year-old economist, who will return home from Paris on Thursday to take charge. "I fervently appeal to everybody to stay calm. Please refrain from all kinds of violence."

He appealed to all students, political parties and non-political people to stay calm. "This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations," he said in a statement.

"Let us not miss the chance by going into any senseless violence. Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country," he said. "If we take the path of violence everything will be destroyed. Please stay calm. Help those around you to stay calm."

His appeal followed the Army chief's acknowledgement that there were incidents of looting and anarchy after Hasina's ouster. He said the police forces had become "totally dysfunctional” and it was not possible for the military along with the navy and air force troops to "fill the void". But he added that "we will do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice”.

With police absent from their duty to keep law and order or manage traffic, students carried out traffic management as volunteers for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

"I request our police members once again to ignore rumours and return to their duties in a phased manner, ensuring that security arrangements are properly in place," said additional inspector-general of police A.K.M. Shahidur Rahman, who was appointed as the focal person for Bangladesh Police on Tuesday to handle the current crisis.

Rahman has now been appointed as director-general of the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a reshuffle on Wednesday, according to the home ministry, which reconstituted the top positions in the security establishment.

There were reports of attacks on police stations and facilities across the country on Tuesday, resulting in numerous police casualties, which have led to this unprecedented situation, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson and ex-premier Khaleda Zia on Wednesday addressed a massive rally of her party — her first public speech since 2018 — in Naya Paltan, central Dhaka, via a video statement. She thanked the people for their "struggle to make possible the impossible" and said it is not "anger" or "revenge" but "love and peace" which will rebuild the nation, a day after her release from house arrest.

Urging all to strengthen the hands of the youth, the 79-year-old former premier said, "The youth are our future. We need to build a democratic Bangladesh to fulfil their dream, and for which they shed their blood...No destruction, no anger and no revenge, we need love and peace to rebuild our country."

Zia was sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018 under the rule of Hasina, who resigned as prime minister on Monday and fled to India after massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in government jobs.

Meanwhile, businesses demanded immediate restoration of law and order to ensure the safety of their production units amid incidents of attacks on factories over the last two days. They said they opened factories on Wednesday, particularly the garment units, but many cannot run properly fearing unrest and vandalism, the Daily Star reported.

Six top officials of Bangladesh Bank, including deputy governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman, resigned as unrest erupted at the bank on Wednesday, the second day after offices reopened, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

It said more than a hundred officials of the bank stormed the governor's office, forcing several deputy governors to leave the building. Attorney-general advocate Abu Mohammad Amin Uddin has also resigned.

Bodies of at least 29 supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party were recovered across the country through Tuesday, taking the overall death toll to 469 in almost three weeks since the protest first started in July.

Media reports also flagged more cases of violence against minorities surfacing through Tuesday, prominent among them being the massive vandalism and destruction at popular folk band Joler Gaan’s frontman Rahul Ananda's residence on Monday, prompting the singer and his family to take shelter in a secret location.

The Daily Star quoted Saiful Islam Jarnal, one of Joler Gaan's founding members, who described that the mob after breaking the main gate, began ravaging the house, taking whatever they could find — from furniture and mirrors to valuables — and then torched the whole house along with Anand's over 3,000 musical instruments, which he designed and made over the years.

Terming attacks on minorities as “against the fundamental spirit” of the students’ movement, Transparency International Bangladesh has called on authorities to ensure the security of religious minorities and state assets.

Several Hindu temples, households and businesses have been vandalised and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with Hasina’s party have been killed in the violence, according to two community leaders in Dhaka.