DHAKA, Jan 12: Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former governor of the Bangladesh Bank, was sworn in as Chief Adviser to the caretaker government on Friday. President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed administered the oath of office to Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at the Bangabhaban. On Thursday the president had declared a state of emergency in the country and stepped down as head of the caretaker government in the midst of a showdown between the two main political camps, led by the BNP and the Awami League.

Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to form his cabinet in a day or two. Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and leaders of her alliance attended the oath-taking ceremony, while BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and leaders of the four-party alliance she leads stayed away.

BNP insiders said that Khaleda Zia boycotted the function as President Iajuddin Ahmed did not consult her before quitting the post of the chief adviser, nor did he seek her opinion about appointing Fakhruddin Ahmed.

Some Western missions in Dhaka and the Bangladesh army are widely believed to have been active behind the latest political changeover in Bangladesh.

Before finalisation of Fakhruddin’s appointment, some behind the scene actors had approached Nobel Peace laureate Mohammad Younus and head of the BRAC Fazle Hossain Abed to take the responsibility. Both of them regretted.

Fakhruddin Ahmed started his career as a teacher in the Department of Economics of the Dhaka University. Later, he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan and served in various capacities until 1978.

He had held senior positions in the World Bank from 1978 till 2001 before joining the Bangladesh Bank as its governor.

Meanwhile, some Dhaka-based national dailies published political reports and commentaries on Friday, defying the censorship imposed verbally by the ministry of information the night before. The television channels, however, obeyed the instruction.

The government on Friday lifted night-time curfew which was imposed in the divisional headquarters on Thursday.