- This appointment follows the dissolution of parliament by the country’s president and the granting of a full presidential pardon to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government following ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation amid mass protests, President’s Press Secretary was reported as saying by Prothom Alo.
The decision came after a meeting on Tuesday night at Bangabhaban in Dhaka, which included leaders from Students Against Discrimination, the president, the chiefs of the three armed forces, and two Dhaka University professors.
Abedin also stated that additional members of the government will be selected through consultations with various political parties, Prothom Alo reported.
The 13-member team from Students Against Discrimination participated in the meeting, which also included Dhaka University professors Asif Nazrul from the law department and Tanzim Uddin from the IER department.
Earlier in the day, in a Facebook video, student protest coordinators announced Yunus as the chief adviser of the new interim government.
Yunus, currently in Paris, has accepted the role and plans to return to Bangladesh after a minor medical procedure.
In a statement to AFP, Yunus said, “I am honoured by the trust of the protesters who wish for me to lead the interim government. If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it.”
This appointment follows the dissolution of parliament by the country’s president and the granting of a full presidential pardon to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, a political rival of Hasina.
Yunus, an economist and banker, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work with microcredit, has previously faced corruption charges under Hasina’s rule, which he alleges were driven by personal animosity.
As Bangladesh transitions politically, Yunus has called for “free elections” and emphasised that the interim government is just the beginning of the country’s path forward.
@The Indian Express
