Bangladesh's president dissolves parliament

UNITED NATIONS/DHAKA — Bangladesh's President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for the formation of an interim government following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The president also ordered the release of jailed former prime minister and key opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia, according to a news release from Bangabhaban, the official residence of the president of Bangladesh.

"The decision to dissolve the parliament was taken following the president's discussions with the three chiefs of staffs of armed forces, leaders of different political parties, representatives of civil society and leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement," said the release.

Shamsuddin Dider, member of the media wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, told Xinhua that the party's chief Khaleda Zia has already been released.

The release order came a day after Hasina resigned and the military took power. Hasina fled the country on Monday amid violent protests in the South Asian country.

Hasina is likely to stay in India until Britain grants her asylum, local television news channel Republic World reported on Tuesday.

An interim government will be set up to run Bangladesh, according to Waker-Uz-Zaman, the army chief.

China expressed on Tuesday its sincere hope for Bangladesh to restore its social stability at an early date.

China is following closely the developments in Bangladesh, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

"As a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic cooperative partner of Bangladesh, China sincerely hopes that social stability will be restored soon in the country," the statement said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for calm and restraint in the country.

Also on Tuesday, a key organizer of Bangladesh's student protests called for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to be named as the head of a new interim government.

Nahid Islam, the organizer, said in a video post on social media that student protest leaders have already talked with Yunus, who consented to take over considering the present situation of the country.

Yunus, 84, and his Grameen Bank won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for work to lift millions out of poverty by granting tiny loans of under $100 to the rural poor of Bangladesh. But he was indicted by a court in June on charges of embezzlement that he denied. Yunus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zhao Jia in Beijing contributed to this story.

Xinhua - Agencies