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The State Guest House Jamuna is being prepared for Muhammad Yunus, who is on his way to Bangladesh to take the oath of office as head of the interim government.
On Thursday morning, cleaning workers were at work in the building. The trees around the boundary wall of the building are being trimmed.
A cleaning worker told bdnews24.com, “It is being readied for the head of the country. We are mowing the grounds, clipping the trees. We are preparing with the understanding that he will stay here."
When asked who is inside the building, the worker said, "The military."
Security fencing has not yet been installed in front of the building. Cleaning workers can be seen sweeping inside the half-open main gate, bdnews24.com reports.
Prior to this, Justice Habibur Rahman, chief advisor to the caretaker government in 1996 and Latifur Rahman, chief advisor to the caretaker government in 2001, spent their terms at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Fakhruddin Ahmed, chief advisor to the army-backed caretaker government, also stayed at the residence after they took power during the 1/11 changeover in 2007.
There has been no government in the country for four days since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, which had been in power for over 15 years, in the face of a mass movement led by students.
Although a caretaker government system is no longer part of the constitution, initiatives have been taken to form an interim government ahead of fresh elections. The army is also supporting it.
The protesting students proposed the name of Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus as the head of this interim government. President Mohammed Shahabuddin agreed to it.
Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Sunday that there may be 15 advisers in this interim government. They will take their oaths of office at the Bangabhaban on Thursday at 8:00 pm.
During the recent weeks of unrest, Prof Yunus was in Paris to attend the Olympics. A labour appellate court on Wednesday overturned his six-month sentence in a case over violations of the labour law under the previous government.
Yunus left Paris for Dhaka on Wednesday night Bangladesh time to take charge of the interim government. Army chief Waker is set to welcome him at the airport in the afternoon.
Yunus will first go to Yunus Centre in Mirpur from the airport. He will be escorted there under military protocol security. The student protesters will welcome him as they stand on both sides of the road.
Before leaving for Dhaka, Yunus said in a statement to the nation: “Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes.”