Muhammad Yunus Returns to Bangladesh to Lead Interim Government

Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, returned to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, on Thursday, August 9. Reuters reported that he returned to Bangladesh after weeks of student-led protests that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to neighboring India, to lead the interim government. The 84-year-old Yunus, a staunch critic of Hasina, arrived in Dhaka after receiving medical treatment in Paris, following the protesters' support for him to play a role in the interim government responsible for conducting elections to establish a new government. At Dhaka airport, he told reporters, 'The country has the potential to become a very beautiful country.' Yunus stated that the protesting students saved Bangladesh and added, 'We will follow whatever path they show us.' He also referred emotionally to a student who was shot during the protests, emphasizing that such sacrifices cannot be forgotten. Yunus said, 'Now we must rise again,' addressing government officials and the Bangladeshi army, 'We are members of one family and must move forward together.' This economist, known as the 'banker to the poor,' received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding a bank that pioneered the fight against poverty through microloans. According to Reuters, Yunus was expected to take an oath as head of the advisory team at the official residence of Mohammad Shahabuddin, the President of Bangladesh, on Thursday night local time. Local media reported that Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmood, two student leaders who led the protests, are set to join the interim government. Meanwhile, the Awami League party, led by Sheikh Hasina, will not participate in the interim government following her resignation and flight on Monday, August 7. Sajib Wazed Joy, Hasina's son, wrote on Facebook that the party has not surrendered and is ready to negotiate with the opposition and the interim government. During weeks of anti-government protests in Bangladesh, at least 300 people were killed and thousands injured. The student protests arose in response to job quota policies, leading to a violent crackdown on demonstrations. Hasina has taken refuge in New Delhi, India, which has angered some Bangladeshis in India. Bangladesh and India have long-standing cultural and trade relations, with New Delhi playing a key role in the 1971 war with Pakistan that led to Bangladesh's independence. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that it is not involved in Sheikh Hasina's travel plans and it is up to her to 'move things forward.' Indian media have reported that Hasina may travel to the UK, but the UK has not commented on this, and Reuters cannot independently confirm the news. Meanwhile, hundreds of Hindu Bangladeshis, whose homes and businesses have been attacked and destroyed, made an unsuccessful attempt to seek refuge in India this week. On the other hand, Khaleda Zia, the 87-year-old leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who is currently hospitalized after being released from house arrest, called for peace, an end to violence, and elections within the next three months in a message on Wednesday, August 16, stating, 'Without destruction, revenge, and bloodshed.' In recent years, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to high inflation, rising unemployment rates, and a decrease in the country's financial reserves, forcing Hasina's government to seek a $4.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.