Bangladesh protests: Several top government officials announce resignation
In light of protests against the state leadership in Bangladesh, several high-ranking state officials have resigned following the escape of the long-serving prime minister. However, the transitional government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus did not accept the resignation of central bank chief Abdur Rouf Talukder, a finance ministry advisor said on Saturday. He cited the crucial importance of this position.
Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan also stepped down, according to an advisor to the ministry of justice. Protesting students had threatened him with "severe consequences" if he remained in office. The vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka, Maksud Kamal, also resigned, the university said. Reuters could not initially reach Talukder, Hassan, and Kamal.
Students from the University of Dhaka are considered the driving force behind the protests. They were sparked by quotas for recruitment into the civil service, which many young people view as discriminatory. The demonstrations and the crackdown by security forces escalated into violent unrest, resulting in around 300 deaths, including many students. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to neighboring India. Her son insisted that she had not resigned.
Yunus, meanwhile, returned from exile to Dhaka and was sworn in as head of a transitional government to prepare for new elections. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on fighting poverty through microloans. In Bangladesh, he has previously been convicted on corruption charges, which his supporters dismissed as politically motivated.
Despite the mass resignations of several high-ranking officials, the transitional government under Yunus refused to accept the resignation of the Governor of the Central Bank, Abdur Rouf Talukder, due to the crucial importance of his position. This refusal contrasted with the acceptance of the resignations of the Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and the vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka, Maksud Kamal, following threats and protests.
