Muhammad Yunus Proposed as Leader of Interim Government by Bangladeshi Protesters

By IndraStra Global News Team

Cover Image Attribute: Noble Laureate Muhammad Yunus / Source: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

Key organizers of Bangladesh's student protests have proposed that Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus should lead an interim government following the resignation and flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old sociology student who led the protest movement initially focused on government job quotas, which then evolved into a national uprising against the administration, announced in a social media video that Yunus had agreed to assume the role. Late on Monday, Islam expressed the need to see progress by morning, urging the president to act swiftly in establishing an interim government led by Dr. Yunus. 
On Tuesday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of parliament and confirmed that new elections would be held as soon as possible. This announcement followed a scheduled meeting between the protest organizers and the army chief. 
Student leaders have clarified that they will not accept a military-led government. Islam emphasized their commitment to building a new Bangladesh, stating that only the government proposed by the students would be acceptable, rejecting any military-backed or fascist administration.
The Students Against Discrimination movement issued an ultimatum, demanding the dissolution of parliament or threatening to resume protests, a demand that was eventually met. On Tuesday, Chowdhury noted that while the capital's streets were mostly quiet and businesses reopened, tension remained as the movement urged tranquility while presenting a list of names for the new interim government.
Bangladesh's Interim Government
Yunus, 84, has been proposed as a potential chief adviser to the new interim government. Renowned as the "banker to the poor," Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work in microlending, which has helped millions escape poverty through small loans. Despite facing corruption allegations during Hasina's tenure, which he claimed were politically motivated, Yunus's reputation remains strong.
A spokesperson for Yunus confirmed that he agreed to the student's request to serve as an adviser to the interim government. According to Reuters, the spokesperson added that Yunus would return to Bangladesh "immediately" following a minor medical procedure in Paris.
After Hasina’s removal on Monday, army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced he was temporarily taking control of the country as military forces worked to manage the escalating unrest. He reported having discussions with leaders from major political parties—excluding Hasina’s long-dominant Awami League—and declared that an interim government would oversee Bangladesh's administration.
He also pledged to investigate the deaths of at least 135 individuals across Bangladesh since mid-July, marking some of the worst violence since the 1971 war of independence. "Trust the military," he said. "We will look into all the killings and hold those responsible accountable."
Shahabuddin, the ceremonial president, announced that it was "unanimously decided" to release Begum Khaleda Zia, the chairperson of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a long-time rival of Hasina. Zia, who was convicted of corruption in 2018 and later moved to a hospital due to declining health, has always denied the charges against her.
The protests initially began last month as students, frustrated with a quota system in government jobs favoring those with ties to Hasina's Awami League party, demanded its end. These demonstrations evolved into a significant challenge to Hasina's rule, with a severe police crackdown that underscored the country’s economic distress.

On Monday (August 5), protesters defied a military curfew to march into the capital, setting fire to Hasina’s official residence and gathering outside the parliament building with a banner reading "justice." They also vandalized Hasina’s ancestral home, which had been turned into a museum dedicated to her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first president and independence leader. Meanwhile, Hasina arrived at a military airfield near New Delhi and met with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Reports suggest she may travel to the United Kingdom. India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar confirmed Hasina's presence in India and expressed concern over the situation, noting that border security has been heightened due to the complex situation.

IndraStra Global is now available on
Apple News, Google News, Feedly, Flipboard, and  WhatsApp Channel

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this insight piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IndraStra Global.

COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html