প্রকাশ: 06/04/2022
Sri Lanka’s president revoked a days-old state of emergency
after huge public protests demanded he resign over the country’s worst economic
crisis in memory.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resisted the calls even
after governing party lawmakers said an interim government should replace his
and failing to do so would make them responsible for violence.
The decree Rajapaksa issued Tuesday night said he revoked
emergency orders that had given him sweeping authority to act in the interests
of public security and preserving public order, including suspending any laws,
authorizing detentions and seizing property.
Rajapaksa had declared the emergency last week after crowds
of protesters demonstrated near his home in the capital Colombo. The protests
initially began over shortages of essentials such as cooking gas, petrol,
electricity and milk powder. They have spread to every part of the Indian Ocean
island nation and now the demonstrators are demanding the resignation of
Rajapaksa and his government.
TV and social media images from Monday showed protesters
stormed into the offices and houses of ruling party lawmakers and vandalized
some premises. On Tuesday, lawmakers at the first new Parliament session since
the protests flared asked the speaker to ensure their safety.
The president and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda
Rajapaksa, continue to hold power in Sri Lanka, despite their politically
powerful family being the focus of public ire.
The Cabinet resigned Sunday night, and Rajapaksa invited all
parties to join a unity government, but the main opposition party rejected the
proposal. On Tuesday, nearly 40 governing coalition lawmakers said they would
no longer vote according to coalition instructions, significantly weakening the
government.
Sri Lanka has huge debts and dwindling foreign reserves,
leaving it unable to pay for imported goods.
For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to
buy fuel, foods and medicines, most of which comes from abroad and is paid for
in hard currency. The fuel shortage, along with lower hydropower capacity in
dry weather, has caused rolling power cuts lasting hours each day.
Rajapaksa last month said his government was in talks with
the International Monetary Fund and turned to China and India for loans while
he appealed to people to limit the use of fuel and electricity.
প্রধান সম্পাদকঃ সৈয়দ বোরহান কবীর
ক্রিয়েটিভ মিডিয়া লিমিটেডের অঙ্গ প্রতিষ্ঠান
বার্তা এবং বাণিজ্যিক কার্যালয়ঃ ২/৩ , ব্লক - ডি , লালমাটিয়া , ঢাকা -১২০৭
নিবন্ধিত ঠিকানাঃ বাড়ি# ৪৩ (লেভেল-৫) , রোড#১৬ নতুন (পুরাতন ২৭) , ধানমন্ডি , ঢাকা- ১২০৯
ফোনঃ +৮৮-০২৯১২৩৬৭৭