Bangladesh Military Chief Announces Transitional Government

Dhaka, MINA – Bangladesh military chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman on Monday announced a transitional government after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country due to violent nationwide protests, Anadolu Agency reports.

Hundreds of people were killed and wounded during the protests since July, which first called for the abolition of quotas in government jobs and later the resignation of Hasina, who had been in power since 2009.

The 76-year-old is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh.

In an address to the nation after meeting political party leaders, Zaman said Hasina had resigned, called for peace and said there would be “no need” of martial law if normalcy returned to the South Asian nation. He pledged to probe deaths of the protesters.

He will later hold talks with leaders of the student protest movement.

Meanwhile, leaders from opposition parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami met President Mohammed Shahabuddin for talks.

Previously, students had pushed back any possibility of a military takeover. Asif Mahmud, a key coordinator of the ongoing demonstrations, said in a social media post that students “won’t accept military takeover.

A Bangladesh Air Force aircraft carrying Hasina, the ruling party leader, and her sister is said to have landed at an air force base in Ghaziabad, near the capital New Delhi.

Hasina has yet to issue any statement.

Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval reportedly reached the Hindon Air Base to meet Hasina. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)