Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as Bangladesh’s interim chief, vowing to “uphold, help and defend the structure”.
The 84-year-old took an oath on the presidential palace in Dhaka together with greater than a dozen members of his new cupboard, vowing to carry out his duties “sincerely”.
He flew into the capital, Dhaka, simply days after Sheikh Hasina – the girl who dominated Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years – fled throughout the border to India.
Ms Hasina resigned as prime minister after weeks of student-led protests – which left a whole bunch lifeless – escalated and culminated in requires her to face down.
The choice to call Prof Yunus as chief adviser of the interim authorities adopted a gathering between President Mohammed Shahabuddin, army leaders and scholar leaders.
The scholars had been clear they’d not settle for a military-led authorities, however needed Prof Yunus to guide.
Amongst his new cupboard are Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, college students who led the anti-government protests.
The hope is Prof Yunus, the so-called banker for the poor, will carry democracy again to Bangladesh after years of autocratic rule.
“Individuals are excited,” the entrepreneur and economist instructed the BBC moments after arriving in Dhaka from France on Thursday.
He later instructed reporters that Bangladesh “has acquired a second independence” as he known as for the restoration of legislation and order within the nation of 170 million individuals.
Following Prof Yunus’s swearing in, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi supplied his “greatest needs”, writing on X/Twitter that his authorities was “dedicated” to working with its neighbour for “peace, safety and growth”.
Prof Yunus paid tribute to those that died, saying they’d “protected the nation” and given it “new life” after Ms Hasina’s rule.
She had begun that rule as a logo of democracy however, by the point she fled, she was thought of an autocrat who had sought to entrench her authority by silencing dissent.
Prisons had been stuffed with individuals who sought to talk out in opposition to her. Prof Yunus – lauded for his pioneering use of micro-loans – was a kind of who discovered themselves in authorized hassle throughout her tenure.
Ms Hasina regarded him as a public enemy – he’s presently on bail, interesting in opposition to a six-month jail time period in what he has known as a politically-motivated case.
Talking on Thursday, he known as on the nation’s younger individuals to assist him rebuild the South Asian nation.
“Bangladesh is usually a stunning nation, however we destroyed the probabilities,” he mentioned.
“Now now we have to construct a seedbed once more – the brand new seedbed will likely be constructed by them,” he added, gesticulating in direction of the scholars who had arrived to greet him.
EPAHis ascension as Bangladesh’s interim chief follows weeks of turmoil.
Greater than 400 persons are reported to have died after protests in search of to abolish a quota system for civil service jobs started in July.
A 3rd of those jobs are reserved for kinfolk of veterans from Bangladesh’s battle of independence from Pakistan, which passed off in 1971. Campaigners argued the system was discriminatory and wanted to be overhauled.
Although this demand was largely met after the Supreme Court docket backed the scholars’ calls for and vastly lowered the size of the quota system, the protests then reworked right into a wider anti-government motion fuelled by crackdowns.
Bangladeshi media and demonstrators blamed police for the spiralling demise toll. Officers maintained that officers solely ever opened hearth out of self-defence or to guard state property.
College students and their supporters had deliberate to march on the prime minister’s residence on Monday.
However earlier than the march may get correctly transferring, the information got here that Sheikh Hasina had fled Bangladesh and resigned as prime minister. She is presently in Delhi.