The US authorities welcome the announcement of the formation of the interim government of Bangladesh and call on all parties to exercise restraint, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday.
“Too many lives have been lost in recent weeks and we call for order and restraint. We welcome the announcement of the formation of an interim government and call for any further transfer of power to be carried out in accordance with the laws of Bangladesh,” Miller said during the briefing.
He noted that the USA has read the reports about the resignation of the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and is closely monitoring the situation.
For his part, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on the X social network that it is necessary to create a balanced interim government that will respect people’s rights and quickly organize elections.
Protests intensified in Bangladesh on Monday. According to some reports, the demonstrators set fire to the office of the prime minister’s party “Awami League” in Dhaka. Additionally, according to The Times of India, thousands of demonstrators stormed the residence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and vandalized the compound.
The army later confirmed that Sheikh Hasina had left the country. Western media reported that the prime minister requested asylum in Great Britain.
The military command of Bangladesh announced that they will form an interim government of the country.
Protests in Bangladesh began in July on one of the university campuses – students protested against the return of the practice of quoting 30% of jobs for family members of veterans of the country’s 1971 war for independence. This practice was abolished in 2018, but returned by court decision in June of this year. Students found it discriminatory, especially given the high unemployment in the country.