The “banker to the poor” will lead the caretaker government after longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following a mass uprising that left hundreds dead and pushed the South Asian nation to the brink of chaos.
Bangladesh’s military chief said on Wednesday that a caretaker government led by Yunus would take the oath on Thursday evening, on his return from Paris to take charge of the administration as part of the fight to restore stability after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee.
Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman said in a televised address late Wednesday afternoon that those responsible for the violence since Ms. Hasina’s resignation would be brought to justice.
Mr. Yunus leaves Paris, where he advises the organizers of the Olympic Gamesto return home on Thursday and take the oath of office during the night.
Speaking to reporters in Paris, Mr Yunus said: “I am looking forward to going home and seeing what is happening there, and how we can organise ourselves to get out of the difficult situation we are in.”
Asked when the elections would be, he raised his hand to indicate that it was too early to say: “I’m going to go and talk to them. I’m very new to this.”
An economist and banker, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work developing microcredit markets. Mr. Yunus has been praised for having lifted thousands of people out of poverty through the Grameen Bank, which he founded in 1983 and which provides small loans to businessmen who would not qualify for ordinary bank loans.
The other members of the new government will be decided soon, after discussion with political parties and other stakeholders. The president dissolved parliament on Tuesdaypaving the way for an interim administration and new elections.
Shahabuddin also ordered the release from house arrest of opposition leader Khaleda Zia, a longtime rival of Hasina who was convicted of corruption in 2018.
Uneasy calm in the streets after the deadly clashes
The streets of the capital Dhaka were calm on Tuesday, a day after violence swept parts of the country following Hasina’s sudden departure. On Tuesday, jubilant protesters swarmed the ousted leader’s residence, some posing for selfies with soldiers guarding the building after Monday’s looting spree.
Mr. Yunus, who called Ms. Hasina’s resignation the country’s “second day of liberation,” had faced corruption charges under Ms. Hasina, accusations he derided as politically motivated. He could not immediately be reached for comment, but a leading protest organizer, Nahid Islam, said he had agreed to lead the interim administration.
Mr Islam said the protesters would propose other names for the cabinet and suggested it would be difficult for the ruling government to ignore their wishes.
Ms Hasina fled to India by helicopter as protesters defied a military curfew to march on the capital, thousands storming her residence and other buildings associated with her party and family.
Protests against quotas turn into broad protests
The unrest began in July with protests against a quota system for public jobs that critics said favored people with ties to Ms. Hasina’s party. But it quickly morphed into a broader challenge to Ms. Hasina’s 15-year rule, marked by human rights abuses, corruption, allegations of rigged elections and a brutal crackdown on her opponents.
The government’s violent response to the protests, which left around 300 people dead in just a few weeks, has only fueled the protests.
The quick choice of Mr. Yunus came after Ms. Hasina’s resignation created a power vacuum and left the future uncertain for Bangladesh, which has a history of military rule, disorderly politics and myriad crises. The military wields considerable influence in a country that has seen more than 20 coups or attempted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. The military chief, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, said Monday he had taken temporary control of the country until a new government is formed.
Amid the celebrations, student Juairia Karim said it was a historic day. “Today we get what we deserve,” she said. “Everyone is happy, everyone is joyful.
But the country was still counting the casualties from weeks of violence that sparked some of the worst bloodshed since the independence war. Many fear that Hasina’s departure could spark even more instability in the densely populated country of some 170 million people, already struggling with high unemployment, corruption and climate change.
The violence in the days following Hasina’s resignation has left at least 109 people dead, including 14 police officers, and hundreds injured, according to media reports that could not be independently confirmed. In the southwestern district of Satkhira, 596 prisoners and detainees escaped from a jail after an attack on the facility on Monday night, the United News of Bangladesh reported.
“Violence against minorities”
The country’s Hindu minority, which has been targeted in the past during political unrest and has long been seen as pro-Hasina, is increasingly concerned about renewed attacks. Local reports of violence against Hindu leaders and other minorities could not be confirmed.
“Hindus are very scared,” Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, leader of the Bangladesh branch of a Hindu movement, told IANS news service. “Hindus are very scared that they will be attacked at any time. Because whenever the government falls, minorities are affected.”
The European Union’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Charles Whitley, said on the social network X that European diplomats were “very concerned” by reports of violence against minorities.
Opposition politicians have publicly called on people not to target minority groups, while student leaders have asked their supporters to guard Hindu temples and other places of worship.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday urged people to exercise restraint in what it called a “transitional moment on the road to democracy.”
“The spirit of the revolution that overthrew the illegitimate and autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina would be shattered if people decided to take justice into their own hands,” Tarique Rahman, the party’s acting president, wrote on X.
“I think the next leader of the country should learn from students that if anyone becomes corrupt, traitorous or takes action against the country, he will face the same fate,” said Mohammad Jahirul Islam, a student from Dhaka.
Hasina, 76, was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January, an election boycotted by her main opponents. Thousands of opposition members were jailed ahead of the vote, and the United States and Britain denounced the result as lacking credibility.
After fleeing Dhaka, Hasina landed at a military airfield near New Delhi on Monday and met with India’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, the Indian Express newspaper reported. She planned to travel to the United Kingdom.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told parliament that Hasina had “very promptly requested permission to travel to India for the time being”.