Three days after the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina regime in the face of a mass uprising, the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus is set to be sworn in tonight.

Army Chief Wakar-uz-Zaman has indicated that the number of advisers in the interim government could be around 15.

In a press conference at the army headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, the army chief spoke about his discussions with Prof Yunus. He mentioned that Yunus is ready to take on the role of chief adviser.

The decision of appointing Prof Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government was made on Tuesday night, during a meeting at Bangabhaban with President Mohammed Sahabuddin, the heads of the three armed forces, and the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.

Prof Yunus is currently in Paris, France. He is expected to arrive at Dhaka’s Shahjalal Airport today at 2:10pm on an Emirates flight from Dubai.

When asked about the timing of the new government’s swearing-in ceremony, the army chief said that they are aiming to hold it today. “Initially, there was a proposal to hold it in the afternoon, but it might be too tight since Yunus will be arriving around 2:10pm. Therefore, the ceremony could be held around 8:00 pm. The event will be attended by 400 people.”

About the number of members in the interim government, the army chief said he believes it will be around 15. However, as had not been formally announced, he refrained from providing further details.

Kazi Shahjahan, the private secretary to the Cabinet Secretary, told the Daily Sun on Wednesday night that Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain will conduct the swearing-in ceremony.

The Cabinet Division had completed all preparations for the ceremony, he nted, adding that invitations had been sent out based on Bangabhaban’s guest list.

Sources at Bangabhaban have reported that the president will finalise the names of the advisers after discussing with Prof Yunus upon his return to the country, and the total number of advisers would be decided then.

The Anti-discrimination Student Movement has proposed that the tenure of the interim government be three years, according to sources.

Who will be the advisers?

The names of the advisers have not been disclosed by Bangabhaban. The coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement have not revealed the names of the 10-15 individuals, including a student representative, whom they proposed for advisory roles in their meeting with the President.

A source reports that the Anti-discrimination Student Movement has proposed the names of Professor Asif Nazrul from the Law Department of Dhaka University; Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor of the Bangladesh Bank; Touhid Hossain, former foreign secretary; Hassan Ariff, former attorney general; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, executive director of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA); Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of the human rights organisation Odhikar; Hossain Zillur Rahman, former caretaker  government adviser; Professor Salimullah Khan, Adviser to the Chakma Circle Chief Queen Yan Yan; and two coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud.

The president will propose the names of two individuals, including a freedom fighter, for the position of adviser to the interim government. Additionally, the army chief will propose the names of three individuals.

On Wednesday night, the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement held online and offline meetings with top leaders of several political parties to discuss who will hold the position of adviser in the government.

A coordinator, however, told the Daily Sun that the list of advisers is subject to constant changes because the opinion of the chief adviser is a significant factor. Additionally, political parties have also proposed names.

He added that it is not yet clear how many of the individuals proposed by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement will be included in the government.

‘Work on to reorganise the police’

Noting that the work of reorganising the police is ongoing, the army chief stated that a new Police chief has been appointed. He expressed confidence that the police force’s morale would be restored and that the police would be able to effectively carry out their duties as a professional force.

“I want to assure you that the Army, Navy, and Air Force are and will always be with the people. We will continue our work. I believe that by working together with everyone, we will be able to move towards a better future.”

In response to a question about a recent robbery incident, the Army chief said, “Some incidents have occurred, and there are reasons behind them. The situation is gradually calming down. However, the police are not on duty. The police are a large force, and it is not possible to fill the gap created by their absence with the strength of the military alone. Despite this, we are trying our best.”

“We have rescued thousands of people from this situation. To my knowledge, we have rescued many police officers, numerous police stations, and government officials. We have protected the airport, diplomatic areas, judges’ residences, and secretaries’ residences. Patrolling is being carried out in various places. I am deeply sorry and embarrassed that these incidents have occurred.”

The Army chief added that he was confident that once the police are reorganised and back to work, they would easily fill the void.

“The police are a large force, and if this force becomes inactive, it is not possible for the Army, Navy, or Air Force to fill that gap.”

He expressed confidence that the police would soon be reorganised and capable of countering such acts of vandalism. He assured that every effort would be made to bring those involved in such activities to justice.

Urging people not to pay heed to rumours, the Army Chief said that rumours are spreading, but you should not listen to them or spread them. It would be better to refrain. He also praised the work of the media during the recent situation.