Waker-uz-Zaman

Bangladesh's army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman said Monday he would "form an interim government" after the prime minister resigned and fled the capital in the face of overwhelming protests.

"I am taking full responsibility," the general said, dressed in military fatigues and cap, although it was not immediatly clear if he would head a caretaker government.

Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters, many wielding sticks, crowded into a central Dhaka square Sunday for mass protests demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign following a deadly police crackdown.

Asif Mahmud, one of the key protest leaders in a nationwide civil disobedience campaign, asked supporters to be ready to fight.