US urges Bangladesh's interim government to "chart a democratic future"

Washington DC [US], August 9 : State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday that the United States hopes the new interim government in Bangladesh will pave the way for a democratic future.
Miller noted that the US has been in communication with the interim government, including attending the swearing-in of Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus as the country's chief advisor.
"There has been communication with the interim government. Our charge d'affaires attended his swearing-in today. I don't know if she spoke to him at the swearing-in, but she did attend communication with the interim government, not necessarily him personally," Miller said in a press briefing.
"One of the things that we have made clear is that we want to see the interim government chart a democratic future for the people of Bangladesh," he added.
Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of Bangladesh's interim government on Thursday night, just three days after Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister and left the country amid widespread unrest.
Yunus, 84, took the oath at a ceremony in Dhaka.
The key tasks for Yunus will now be to restore peace in Bangladesh and prepare for the new elections.
Bangladesh's figurehead President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus for his role as chief advisor, which is the equivalent to a prime minister, Al Jazeera reported.
The ceremony was attended by foreign diplomats, civil society members, top businessmen, and former opposition party members at the presidential palace in Dhaka. Notably, no representatives from Sheikh Hasina's party, the Awami League, were present.
Upon his arrival in Bangladesh, Yunus made a heartfelt appeal to his supporters, urging the people to maintain calm and end the chaos. He stressed that it is crucial to ensure no attacks occur against anyone in the country, according to the Daily Star.