Yunus Lands in Bangladesh to Lead Interim Government

Farkhund Yousafzai

Beijing, 8 August 2024 (TDI): Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said on Thursday that there is “a lot of work to be done” in Bangladesh, as he arrived in the country to take over as interim leader.

“People are excited,” the 84-year-old said moments after flying into the capital Dhaka from France. He will be sworn in later.

His plane touched down just days after Sheikh Hasina – the woman who ruled the country with an iron fist for fifteen years – fled across the border to India.

She resigned as prime minister after weeks of student-led demonstrations – which left hundreds dead – escalated and culminated in calls for her to quit.

The decision to name Prof Yunus as chief adviser of the interim set up followed a meeting between President Mohammed Shahabuddin, military leaders and student leaders.

The students had been clear they would not accept a military-led government, but wanted Yunus to lead.

The hope is Prof Yunus, the so-called banker for the poor, will bring democracy back to the country after years of autocratic rule.

On Thursday, he stressed the need for “discipline” as Bangladesh starts to rebuild.

Hard work and get it done, the smiling professor said as he made his way through the airport. New opportunities have arrived, he added.

Today is a glorious day for us, Yunus later told reporters, adding it was as if the country has got a second independence as he called for the restoration of law and order.

Bangladesh has been thrown into crisis in recent weeks. Over 400 people are reported to have died after protests demanding the end of a civil service quota system erupted in June.

Many of those killed died after the Supreme Court supported student demands and largely scrapped the quota system last month.

In more recent weeks, the demonstrations had become an anti-government movement. Students and their supporters had planned to march on the PM’s residence on Monday.

But before the march could get properly moving, the news came that Hasina had left Bangladesh and quit as prime minister. She is currently in New Delhi.