Prof Yunus to arrive tomorrow afternoon

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, who is set to become the chief adviser to the interim government, will arrive in the country tomorrow afternoon.

He will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on the Emirates flight (EK-582) from Dubai at 2:10pm Dhaka time (GMT +6), a reliable source told The Daily Star today.

The decision of making Prof Yunus the chief adviser came after a meeting held yesterday on the formation of the interim government between key organisers of the anti-discriminatory movement and President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The heads of the three armed forces were also present at the meeting.

The country is facing uncertainty after resignation and fleeing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 in the face of a mass uprising against her and her Awami League government. In the mob violence and rioting that followed, at least 142 people died across the country.

Her resignation followed around three weeks of violence that had its origins in the students' demand for reform to the quota system in public service jobs.

Between July 16 and today, over 400 people (as far as this newspaper could confirm) have been killed in violent clashes.

On July 23, the government through a circular reformed the quota system as per the demand of the students, but by then nearly 200 died in clashes.

The protesters demanded the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet on August 3, holding her government responsible for the deaths. The government toppled in the space of three days.

Hasina was serving her fourth straight term in office since assuming power in 2009, and fifth overall.