Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as Bangladesh's new interim leader following the resignation and departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Yunus’ appointment comes after weeks of deadly protests that resulted in Hasina fleeing the country.
The protests, which began in July, were initially sparked by university students demanding the abolition of quotas in civil service jobs. These demonstrations quickly grew into broader anti-government protests, resulting in violent clashes with government forces and over 400 deaths. Last Monday, over 100 people died across the country due to the protests and hundreds of police stations were burned down, according to the BBC.
Many students and protesters opposed the idea of a military-led government, instead advocating for Yunus, a respected professor, to lead the interim administration. Yunus' appointment as chief adviser was finalized after President Mohammad Shahabuddin met with military and student leaders.
"When the students who sacrificed so much are requesting me to step in at this difficult juncture, how can I refuse?" Yunus said.
The protests reached their breaking point when protesters stormed the former prime minister's residence in Dhaka, forcing Hasina to resign and flee to India, ending her nearly 15-year tenure as prime minister. Yunus, a longtime critic of Hasina, had previously been sentenced to six months in jail for violating labor laws, a conviction he has claimed is politically motivated and attributed to Hasina's administration.
Yunus, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, gained international acclaim for founding Grameen Bank in 1983, which provides long-term loans to help poor people start businesses. He became widely known as the "banker to the poor.”
In response to the political developments, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Bangladesh to uphold democratic principles.
"Any decisions that the interim government makes, they need to respect democratic principles... to uphold the rule of law [and] reflect the will of the people," Blinken said.
