Nobel Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus, is set to lead the Bangladesh’s Interim Government. This happened after the old Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajid, quit her job and left the country. People were really mad and protesting, mostly students. They were so upset that she had to leave. This is a new beginning for Bangladesh Government.
The news came early Wednesday from Joynal Abedin, who is the press secretary for President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Abedin also said that other members of Yunus’ government would be decided soon after talking with political parties and other important people.
The leaders of the student protests, military chiefs, and civil society members, along with some business leaders, met with the president for over five hours on Tuesday to decide on the interim government leader.
The students had earlier suggested Yunus, and he agreed to take on the role. He is expected to come back from Paris soon, according to local news.
After the decision was made, student leaders left the president’s house around midnight, feeling happy and welcoming the decision.
Nahid Islam, a student group leader, called the talks “fruitful” and said Shahabuddin agreed that the interim government “will be formed very soon.”
Shahabuddin also fired the national police chief because of the deadly protests that led to Hasina’s departure and named a replacement, his office said.
Longtime Critic of Hasina
Yunus is known for criticizing Hasina. He called her resignation the country’s “second liberation day,” while she had once called him a “bloodsucker.”
Yunus, an economist and banker, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for creating microcredit to help poor people, especially women.
The Nobel Peace Prize committee said that Yunus and the Grameen Bank did a fine job of serving people, as well as benefiting society.
In 1983, Yunus created Grameen Bank to provide miniscule loans that banks only made available to those who could secure the loan with collateral. It brought many people out of poverty, and other countries realized it also.
Yunus had problems with Hasina in 2008 when her government started investigating him. He had said he would form a political party in 2007 but did not follow through.
During the investigations, Hasina accused Yunus of using force and other means to recover loans from poor rural women as the head of Grameen Bank. Yunus denied these claims.
He was put on trial in 2013 on charges of receiving money without government permission, including his Nobel Prize money and book royalties. He later faced more charges involving other companies he created, like Grameen Telecom.
In 2023, some former Grameen Telecom workers filed a case against Yunus, accusing him of taking away their job benefits. He denied these accusations.
Earlier this year, a special judge’s court in Bangladesh charged Yunus and 13 others with a $2 million embezzlement case. Yunus pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail.
Yunus’ supporters say he has been targeted because of his bad relationship with Hasina.
Read More, The Next Bangladeshi Leader: Who is Muhammad Yunus?
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