Bangladesh crisis: New police chief tenders apology, says officers violated human rights
Md Mainul Islam was appointed on Tuesday
Bangladesh’s new police chief has offered an apology to the country following massive student protests that left hundreds dead over the past weeks. Md Mainul Islam, who was appointed on Tuesday (Aug 6), apologised for the conduct of police officers and vowed an "impartial" probe into the killings.
"We are committed to conducting a fair and impartial investigation into every recent killing of students, common people, and the police," the Inspector General of Police (IGP)told the reporters Wednesday.
He added that some of the officers violated the human rights of the protesters.
"It is because of them [unprofessional officials] that this ongoing violence and casualties have occurred," he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.
Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina-appointed IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was shown the exit door on Tuesday. His contract was cancelled by the authorities through a notification. He had reached the retirement age two years ago but was serving an extension. He was awarded the latest extension on July 5.
Interim government to take charge by Thursday
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman said he was expecting the interim government to take charge by Thursday (Aug 8). Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus will lead the interim government and he is now travelling from France to his home country.
"We are trying our best to hold the oath-taking ceremony tomorrow. There was a proposal to do in the afternoon (tomorrow), but it might be very tight in the afternoon as he will (Muhammad Yunus) come here at around 2:00 or 2:10 pm (08:00 GMT). It may be very tight. So we might do it at around 8:00 pm. Around 400 hundred people will likely be present there," the army chief said.
"We will cooperate him in every way. And I am certain that he will get cooperation from me as the army chief, and the navy chief and the air chief, and from everyone including all political parties, andthestudents," the army chief added.
Yunus, 84, and his Grameen Bank, a microcredit organisation, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for work to lift millions out of poverty by granting small loans of under $100 to the rural poor of Bangladesh.
The student protesters wanted Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government and a spokesperson for the Nobel laureatesaidhe hadagreed.
(With inputs from agencies)