The interim Bangladesh authorities was sworn in on Thursday (August 8) with Mohammad Yunus as its Chief Advisor. The 17-member authorities was fashioned after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the nation on Monday, as weeks-long public protests escalated and have become extra violent. At the least 300 folks have been killed amid the agitation. Whereas college students initially demanded the removing of a contentious quota in public jobs, the motion later started opposing the Hasina authorities as a complete.
Bangladesh’s military chief Waker-uz-Zaman mentioned in an deal with on Monday that the Military was “taking duty” for governance issues and an interim authorities can be fashioned. On Tuesday, the Parliament was dissolved.
In response to the BBC, a gathering between Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin, army leaders and college students led to Yunus’s choice because the chief adviser to the federal government, a job just like that of the Prime Minister. “The scholars had been clear they’d not settle for a military-led authorities, however wished Prof Yunus to guide,” the BBC report mentioned.
Here’s what we find out about members of the interim government.
1. Mohammad Yunus (Chief Advisor)
Yunus will maintain key ministries, together with the defence ministry, the armed forces division, ministries for schooling, land, textiles and jute, energy, and knowledge and broadcasting, to call a number of. The economist and Nobel laureate has shared a frosty relationship with Sheikh Hasina and noticed a number of authorized circumstances lodged in opposition to him throughout her tenure.
2. Dr Salehuddin Ahmed (Finance and Planning Ministries)
Ahmed is a former governor of the nation’s central financial institution, the Bangladesh Financial institution, the place he served between 2005 and 2009. He has beforehand labored as a civil servant, academician, and advisor to worldwide companies, such because the UNDP and UNESCO.
3. AF Hassan Arif (Ministry of Native Authorities, Rural Improvement and Co-operatives)
Enrolled on the Calcutta Excessive Court docket in 1967, Arif later shifted to Dhaka and have become a Senior Advocate on the Supreme Court docket. He was appointed the Lawyer Basic of Bangladesh between 2001 and 2005. Arif has additionally labored in dispute decision, and arbitration, and represented purchasers resembling Grameen Telephone (an organization Yunus based) and the Chittagong Inventory Trade.
4. Brig Gen Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain (retd) (House Ministry)
Hussain was commissioned into the military in 1966, when Bangladesh was nonetheless part of Pakistan. From 1981-82, he studied at america Command & Employees School (USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Later, he served as a Commissioner of the Election Fee of Bangladesh (2007 to 2012).
5. M Touhid Hossain (Portfolio not introduced)
Hossain is a former overseas secretary of Bangladesh. He joined the Bangladesh International Service in 1981. From 2001 and 2005, he served because the Deputy Excessive Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata, and later because the International Secretary of Bangladesh.
6. Adilur Rahman Khan (Industries Ministry)
Khan started his profession as a lawyer and was later appointed to the put up of Deputy Lawyer Basic from 2001 to 2007. For the reason that Nineties, he has additionally labored as a human rights activist, co-founding the NGO Odhikaar (that means ‘rights’). In 2022, the federal government cancelled its license, accusing it of tarnishing Bangladesh’s picture, in accordance with an AFP report.
7. Dr Asif Nazrul (Regulation Ministry)
He’s presently a legislation professor on the College of Dhaka and has labored as a researcher and civil society activist. Nazrul accomplished his PhD in worldwide legislation from the Faculty of Oriental and African Research, College of London. As a advisor and advisor, he has labored with the European Union, the Asian Improvement Financial institution, and different worldwide organisations.
8. Farida Akhter (Fisheries and Livestock Ministry)
Akhter is a distinguished human rights activist and has advocated for biodiversity-based ecological agriculture. Presently, she is the manager director of UBINIG (Coverage Analysis for Improvement Different), an NGO fashioned in 1984 to advertise equality, justice, variety, social rights, and obligations. Akhter holds a level in economics.
9. Sharmeen Murshid (Social Welfare Ministry)
Murshid is the chief govt officer of Brotee, a non-profit organisation that displays elections and has labored for the rights of marginalised teams and indigenous folks since 2001. Through the 1971 Liberation Battle, she was a part of a cultural troupe which visited refugee camps and different areas to carry out patriotic songs, puppet exhibits, and stage dramas to encourage folks.
10. Syeda Rizwana Hasan (Setting Ministry)
Hasan is an environmentalist and a Supreme Court docket lawyer. In 2012, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her marketing campaign for environmental justice. Hasan has additionally been named a “Hero of the Setting” by Time Journal. Presently, she is the chief govt of Bangladesh Environmental Attorneys Affiliation (BELA), a nonprofit authorized organisation fashioned in 1992 to help efforts to guard the atmosphere.
11. Nurjahan Begum (Well being Ministry)
Begum is likely one of the earliest associates of Muhammad Yunus and helped set up the Grameen Financial institution Challenge in 1976. She performed a pivotal position in bringing rural girls beneath its fold. After Yunus retired in 2011, Begum turned the appearing managing director of the financial institution. She retired the subsequent 12 months and went on to work as an honorary managing director of Grameen Shikkha and as director of a number of firms beneath the Grameen umbrella.
12. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder (Portfolio not introduced)
Podder is a psychiatrist. He’s a director and professor within the Division of Psychiatry on the Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being and Hospital in Dhaka. He practises in Mymensingh, a metropolis round 111 km from the capital.
13. Faruk-e-Azam (Portfolio not introduced)
Azam is a Liberation Battle veteran. As a naval commando, he participated within the Mukti Bahini assault on Pakistani personnel and belongings at Chattogram port as a part of Operation Jackpot in August 1971. He was honoured with Bir Pratik, Bangladesh’s fourth-highest gallantry award.
14. AFM Khalid Hossain (Spiritual Affairs Ministry)
Hossain is a Deobandi theologian. He’s a key chief of the far-right Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, an allegedly Saudi-funded Islamist stress group that led huge road protests in 2013 demanding a extra Islamic authorities, anti-blasphemy legislation, segregation of genders, and so on.
15. Supradip Chakma (Portfolio not introduced)
As a profession diplomat, Chakma has served in numerous overseas capitals, together with as Bangladesh’s ambassador to Vietnam and Mexico. He’s the primary ethnic Chakma to rise to the Secretary put up within the Bangladesh authorities. Since July 2023, he has been chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Improvement Board.
16. Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyian (Youth and Sports activities Ministry)
Bhuyian is a Grasp’s scholar at Dhaka College. He was a key coordinator of the scholar motion and took part within the 2018 anti-quota protests as properly. He’s the convenor of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti (fashioned in October 2023) and alleged he was tortured by police throughout protests.
17. Nahid Islam (Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Info Know-how)
A scholar chief, activist and senior member of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti scholar organisation, he was a key organiser of the road protests in opposition to Hasina’s authorities. In 2018 too, he participated within the anti-reservation protests. He too allegedly suffered torture by police throughout the protests.
Supply: The Day by day Star, Prothom Alo, Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha