Bangladesh’s parliament was dissolved on Tuesday after protesting student leaders demanded it, warning of a “strict programme” if their deadline was not met, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled following a violent uprising.
Nahid Islam one of the key organisers of the movement against Hasina, said on Facebook with two other student leaders that parliament should be dissolved by 3 pm (0900 GMT) on Tuesday and asked “revolutionary students to be ready” if that did not happen.
The demands came amid ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh, which has seen over 300 deaths and thousands of injuries as protests against government job quotas evolved into a broader campaign against Hasina’s 16-year rule.
The unrest culminated in Hasina’s resignation and departure from the country on Monday.
Amid reports of Hindu temples being targeted during the unrest and chaos that ensued following Sheikh Hasina’s escape, Islam blamed members of the former primer minister’s Awami League party of orchestrating the attacks to defame the studenrts movement.
Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, was scheduled to meet with student leaders at 0600 GMT to discuss forming an interim government, expected to oversee upcoming elections.
Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation, marking a significant shift in the nation’s political landscape.
While some normalcy returned to Dhaka, with lighter traffic and a few schools reopening, the capital remained tense.
Student leaders have proposed Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government, a role Yunus has reportedly agreed to accept.
