Bangladeshi President and Chief Advisor Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed Tuesday formed his non-party caretaker government by appointing 10 advisors.

The president administered oath to the advisors -- picked and chosen from the lists of nominees submitted by major political parties -- in a simple ceremony at Bangabhaban (President House) at 10:35 PM.

They are Justice Fazlul Huq, former Army Chief Lt. General (rtd)Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, former Cabinet Secretary Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former Foreign Secretary CM Shafi Sami, ex-Inspector General of Police Azizul Haq, ex-secretary DK Nath, Daily Independent Editor Mahbubul Alam, Scholastica chairperson Yasmin Morshed, Advocate Sultana Kamal and Prof. Sufia Rahman.

The swearing-in of the council of advisers, who will run government ministries in the interim period ahead of national elections in January 2007, put an end to a two-day vacuum in the administration since the tenure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -led coalition government ended on Oct. 29.

President Professor Iajuddin Ahmed took oath as Chief Advisor of the caretaker government on Oct. 29 in the last resort, as the political parties failed to choose a consensus candidate from among the constitutionally designated persons.

Meanwhile, the former main opposition party Awami League (AL) imposed an three-day siege from Oct. 28 to press for appointment of a neutral Chief Advisor of caretaker government.
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During the three-day siege, 28 people were killed and several thousands wounded in violent clashes between supporters of BNP and AL.

At least four people were killed and 60 injured in clashes at different places across the country on Monday night and Tuesday as political rivalries continued in the transitional time, local news agency UNB reported Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2006)

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