Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken oath of office as head of Bangladesh’s interim government after an uprising prompted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee the country.
Bangladesh’s figurehead President, Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus for his role as Chief Advisor, which is the equivalent to a Prime Minister, in presence of foreign diplomats, civil society members, top businessmen and members of the former opposition party at the presidential palace in Dhaka.
“I will uphold, support and protect the constitution,” Yunus said during the ceremony, adding that he would perform his duties “sincerely.”
Yunus also promised to deliver a government which assures safety to its citizens and urged them to assist him in rebuilding the protest-torn country.
The key tasks for Yunus now are restoring peace in Bangladesh and preparing for new elections.
A 16-member council of advisers was announced to assist Yunus in running the state’s affairs.
Women’s rights activist Farida Akhtar, right-wing party Hefazat-e-Islam’s Deputy Chief AFM Khalid Hossain, Grameen Telecom trustee Nurjahan Begum, freedom fighter Sharmeen Murshid, Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Supradip Chakma, Prof Bidhan Ranjan Roy and former Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain are among the advisory council members.
Md. Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, two key organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, were also part of the advisory council.
Yunus, who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work developing microcredit markets, was in the French capital for the 2024 Olympics when he was chosen for the interim role and returned home earlier on Thursday, August 8, 2024, to tight security at the airport in Dhaka.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, senior officials, student leaders and civil society members welcomed him at the airport.
Yunus Focused On Restoring Order
In his first comments after his arrival, he told a news briefing at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport that his priority would be to restore order.
“Bangladesh is a family. We have to unite it,” Yunus said, adding, “It has immense possibility.”
He expressed gratitude to the youth who made the protest movement against Hasina successful and said he would like to stress first to “save the country from violence so that we can move forward on the path that the students have shown us.”
He urged people from all walks of life to listen to him and said that he agreed to take charge of the interim administration responding to the call of the students and youths.
“If you have faith in me and trust me, then ensure that there will be no attack anywhere in the country. This is our first responsibility. If I can’t do it and you do not listen to me, I don’t have any utility here.”
Muhammad Yunus
He termed the anarchic activities and attacks on minority communities as “part of a conspiracy.”
“We have to form a government which assures safety to its citizens,” he said.
Yunus stated that the country was now in the hands of the young people.
“The nation is in your hands now. Now you have to rebuild it as per your aspirations. You have to use your creativity to build the country. You have earned independence for the country.
“We need to change our state structure and remove all elements of fear from it so that people look at it and think that the state has been formed to safeguard them.”
Muhammad Yunus
Yunus also paid tribute to Abu Sayed, a student activist, who was among the first killed in police firing during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
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