Bangladesh army chief vows unconditional support for Yunus’ interim government

Bangladesh’s top army general, General Waker-uz-Zaman, said he will give all-out support to the caretaker government headed by Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus, assuring that his army is committed to assisting him in conducting total reforms after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown. He added that he and his partners would emerge victorious if they collaborated with each other.

In an exclusive interview in Dhaka, General Zaman said, “I will stand beside him. Come what may. So that he can accomplish his mission,” referring to Yunus. The general noted that the military stepped aside during intense student-led protests in early August culminating in the resignation of 15-year rule by Hasina.

He is touted as the man behind the global microcredit movement and vowed to usher in necessary reforms to attack the judiciary, the police, and the financial system – ahead of free and fair elections in the country with around 170 million people.

General Zaman, appointed just ahead of Hasina’s overthrow, said that political change could actually take place as early as a year to 18 months and that the people must be patient in this process.

Bangladesh’s two strong political parties, Hasina-led Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have demanded the polls to be held within three months after the formation of the caretaker government.

Zaman said that Yunus and the military have a good rapport because they frequently meet and work to stabilize the nation after a volatile period. “I am sure we would not fail if we work together,” he said.

The political uprising, that was marred by intense violence and killed more than 1,000 as a spate of clashes, initially fueled by protest against public service employment quotas, turned broadly into an anti-government protest-the country’s deadliest period yet.