B'desh crisis: Yunus to take oath as head of interim govt today

Dhaka, NT Bureau: Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus is set to take oath as the head of Bangladesh's interim government on Thursday, as he made a fervent appeal to everyone to stay calm and "refrain from all kinds of violence" to make the best use of “our new victory”.

As authorities scrambled to bring the law and order situation under control, Army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman on Wednesday announced that the interim government will take oath around 8 pm on Thursday.

He said the advisory council may have 15 members. Gen Zaman further said THAT the armed forces will provide all possible support to 84-year-old Yunus after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) chairperson and ex-premier Khaleda Zia, who was freed from house arrest on Tuesday, echoed the views of Yunus, saying it is not "anger" or "revenge" but "love and peace" which will rebuild the nation.

Businesses demanded immediate restoration of law and order to ensure the safety of their production units amid attacks on factories.