Dhaka, February 16 (QNA) - The head of Bangladesh's caretaker government, Muhammad Yunus, announced his resignation on Monday, days after the parliamentary elections in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) emerged victorious.

This move paves the way for a new political era in the country.

Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said in a televised address: "Today, the caretaker government resigns, but the democratic process, freedom of expression, and respect for fundamental rights that have begun must not be halted."

The parliamentary elections, held last Thursday, resulted in the BNP winning 212 out of 300 seats in parliament.

BNP leader Tarique Rahman is scheduled to be sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday.

Yunus had assumed leadership of the interim government in August 2024, following the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed after weeks of popular protests that resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, according to UN estimates.

The period also saw a referendum on the so-called "July Charter," a package of institutional reforms designed to strengthen the democratic process, which was supported by more than 60 percent of voters.

With the resignation of the interim government, Bangladesh enters a new political phase as power is transferred to an elected government. (QNA)