Hours after declaring a state of emergency, President Iajuddin Ahmed said Thursday that he was stepping down as leader of the government that is constitutionally mandated to oversee upcoming elections.
"I've decided to step down as the chief adviser of the caretaker government and I will, in a couple of days, appoint a new interim leader to hold an election in which all parties will be able to participate," Ahmed said in a televised speech. The general elections are scheduled for Jan. 22.
In the meantime, he said, one of his advisers, Fazlul Haque, would serve as the head of the caretaker government. Ahmed said he would remain president, a largely ceremonial role.
The move came shortly after Ahmed declared a state of emergency Thursday night, suspending fundamental rights and imposing a nighttime curfew, as the nation sank deeper into violence and virtually all international backing for the elections fell away. Emergency rule would pave the way for the army to take control of law and order.
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