Muhammad Yunus on his way to the country ahead of the probable appointment of an interim government on Thursday

Towards a way out of the crisis? The head of the Bangladeshi army, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, announced on Wednesday 7 August that a new interim government could be sworn in in Bangladesh as early as Thursday evening, after the return to his country of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. After days of violence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled on Monday, before parliament was dissolved on Tuesday.

“We are doing our best to organize the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow”the general said in a televised press briefing on Wednesday. Muhammad Yunus will lead a “democratic process” in Bangladesh, the officer added. “I can’t wait to get home, see what’s going on and how we can organize ourselves to get out of the problems we’re in.”the 84-year-old economist said as he boarded a plane in Paris.

Monday was the deadliest day since the start of the movement, with at least 122 deaths, and at least 10 more people were killed on Tuesday, bringing the total death toll to at least 432, according to an AFP tally based on police, government and medical sources.