DHAKA
Chief of Army Staff General pWaker-Uz-Zaman has announced that an interim government, with the participation of all parties, will be formed soon after Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina resigns from her post.
He said: “After holding a fruitful discussion with all political parties, we have decided to form an interim government. We will speak with President Mohammed Shahabuddin now to resolve the situation.”
He called for a halt to all violence in the name of protest and promised that the new government will ensure justice for all the deaths that took place during the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement.
Professor Asif Nazrul from the Law Department of Dhaka University has been asked to issue a statement to request the students to call off the protest.
General Waker said Sheikh Hasina left the country after resigning from her post.
He said no members of the Awami League were present at the meeting with the political parties at the army headquarters.
He made the announcement at a press conference after a meeting with political leaders and eminent citizens in Dhaka in the afternoon.
He reassured everyone that justice would be ensured for each of the killings. General Waker said it was now everyone’s responsibility to remain calm.
“Together, we hope to go towards a better situation,” he said addressing the media.
“I am taking full responsibility,” the general said.
“The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence.”
“I hope after my speech, the situation will improve.”
He said he would talk to the president to form the interim government and had held talks with the main opposition parties and civil society members — but not the Awami League.
“If the situation gets better, there is no need for emergency”, he said, vowing that the new authorities would “prosecute all murders” following weeks of deadly protests.
“Now the task of the students is to keep calm and help us,” he said.
