Abdul Hafiz, a retired lieutenant general of the Bangladesh Army, has been appointed as the special assistant to Prof Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government.

Hafiz will get the status of an adviser and will assist the chief adviser regarding defence and improving national unity.

The chief adviser's press wing announced his appointment in a statement issued yesterday afternoon.

Prof Yunus-led interim government was sworn in on August 8, four days after the fall of the Shiekh Hasina-led government amid an uprising led by students and people. The interim governments have 21 advisers, including Yunus.

Abdul Hafiz was commissioned in the Bangladesh Army in the infantry corps on May 8, 1977. He served as the chief of general staff. He also served as the force commander of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire and the force commander of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for two terms.

He got his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Dhaka University in 1981 and holds a Master's in Defence Studies (MDS) from National University.