US Congressman Ro Khanna urges Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to uphold rule of law in Bangladesh

Washington, DC [US], August 8 : Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has urged Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to uphold the rule of law and stop the targeting of temples or people of any political party from violence.
Ro Khanna's remarks come at a time when Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation, with Sheikh Hasina tendering her resignation from her post in the wake of mounting protests on August 5.
The protests, led mainly by students demanding an end to the quota system for government jobs, evolved into anti-government demonstrations.
Taking to X, Ro Khanna stated, "Bangladeshi students had just human rights concerns against PM Hasina. It's good she is gone. But the violence now targeting Hindus is wrong. PM Yunus must uphold the rule of law & prevent the targeting of temples or people of any political party or faith from violence."
A day after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and left the country, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of the country's parliament to make way for the formation of an interim administration, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Members of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will take the oath tonight. Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Wednesday that the oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held at 8:00 pm (local time) in the presence of some 400 dignitaries, The Daily Star reported.
Waker-Uz-Zaman indicated that the interim government might comprise 15 members. However, he did not mention their names and possible tenure of the government. He spoke to reporters at the Army Headquarters on Wednesday.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman expressed hope that normalcy would return within three to four days as the situation in Bangladesh is improving significantly. He said that those involved in the crimes committed over the past few days will not be spared and legal action will be taken against them.
On Wednesday, General Waker-Uz-Zaman said he had spoken to Muhammad Yunus and felt "very good talking to him, The Daily Star reported.
He said, "I felt very good talking to him. It seemed to me that he was very eager to take up the responsibility. I'm certain that he will be successful in taking us to a democratic process, and that we will benefit from it."
General Waker-Uz-Zaman said they have spoken with political parties and protest organizers about making Yunus the interim government chief. He said they spoke to the Bangladesh President and made the proposal.
He expressed hope that Yunus would receive support from all political parties and students, and would be successful in performing his duties. He said, "The navy chief, the air force chief and I ... We all will support him."
The Bangladesh army chief appreciated the students and volunteers who were working to maintain traffic on the city streets in the absence of traffic police and clean vandalized places. He requested them to continue the good work. He said students, after his request, worked to stop looting and other criminal activities committed outside Dhaka.
When asked about people's concerns regarding the recent incidents of looting and vandalism, General Waker-Uz-Zaman said he has taken responsibility for all people and requested cooperation from political leaders in this regard as there were possibilities of such incidents during the transition of power.
He said, "They [political leaders] assured me of their best possible cooperation. Even though some incidents took place there are some reasons behind it. The situation, however, is getting normal."
General Waker-Uz-Zaman said police personnel were not on the ground and it was not possible to fill the void with the army personnel. He said that the army personnel were trying their best and they rescued thousands of people, and police personnel and were guarding places like the airport.
He said, "I'm very sorry and embarrassed for what has taken place in the first one or two days." He stated navy and air force personnel were also working.
Bangladesh army chief said, "We have tried our best. But still, some incidents happened. It is simply because we did not have enough strength. But I'm sure when the police force gets revamped, the void will easily be filled."
"But I want to say that we will try our best to bring those involved in such [criminal] activities to book," he added, according to The Daily Star report.
When asked if he had any plan to increase the number of forces on the ground, he responded, "All the personnel we have in the military have already been deployed and they are working."