Bangladesh: Nobel winner Yunus is Chief Adviser, students dictate new govt

With Sheikh Hasina resigning as Bangladesh Prime Minister and seeking refuge in India, all eyes are now on Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who has been nominated Chief Adviser to the riot-torn nation’s interim government. The decision was made public by Students Against Discrimination coordinators Mo. Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Bakr Mazumdar in a statement released at 4.40 am (Bangladesh time) on Tuesday.

“We had taken 24 hours to propose our interim government. Given the emergency situation, we are now announcing its outline. We have decided to form an interim government with Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser, who is universally accepted and internationally renowned. We have spoken with Dr Yunus and he has agreed to take on this crucial responsibility at the call of the student community to save Bangladesh,” the students declared in their statement.

The students’ body also urged Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin to announce a new government soon.

“We appeal to the President to quickly form the interim government with Dr Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser. We will announce the names of the other members of this interim government by the morning. We want to see the formation process of this government by the morning,” the statement added.

WHO IS MUHAMMAD YUNUS?

The 84-year-old Muhammad Yunus is an economist and social activist who was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding the Grameen Bank and starting the microcredit and microfinance loan concepts, for entrepreneurs who are too poor to avail conventional bank loans. Among numerous international honours Yunus would go on to win is the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.

Yunus has served on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation from 1998 to 2021. In 2011, Yunus along with Saskia Bruysten, Sophie Eisenmann and Hans Reitz co-founded Yunus Social Business — Global Initiatives (YSB), which helps businesses solve global social problems. From 2012 to 2018, he was Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. Yunus has been a professor of economics at Chittagong University in Bangladesh and has also published several books on his work.

SHEIKH HASINA IN DELHI

As chaos and violence continues to reign in Bangladesh after Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced the formation of an interim government, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, after resigning as Prime Minister, fled her country and landed to her safety in India around 5.30pm on Monday, at Ghaziabad’s Hindon Air Base from a Bangladesh-registered C-130J Hercules jet. Indian Air Force ensured a safe landing for Sheikh Hasina from the time her aircraft entered Indian air space and safely guided it to Hindon air base. NSA Ajit Doval arrived at Hindon to receive Sheikh Hasina.

The Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area has been put on extreme high security, and security will be maintained till Hasina leaves for London, as unconfirmed reports have claimed.

WHY THE BANGLADESH RIOTS HAPPENED

Violent students’ protests broke out in Bangladesh over a controversial quota system that reserves 30 per cent jobs for families of freedom fighters who took part in the nation’s liberation war of 1971. The riots have claimed more than 300 dead over the past three weeks, and the Army has assumed control of Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina fled to India.

Bangladesh President Shahabuddin has dissolved Parliament. Incidentally, he has also ordered the release of ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia who was under house arrest. Zia is the chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Sheikh Hasina’s main political rival.

“A decision was taken to form an interim government soon by dissolving Parliament. The army will take measures to normalise the prevailing anarchic situation,” the President said in a televised address.

INDIA SUSPENDS FLIGHTS AND TRAINS

Meanwhile, Air India and IndiGo cancelled all flights to the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka owing to the ongoing unrest.

“In view of the emerging situation in Bangladesh, we have cancelled the scheduled operation of our flights to and from Dhaka with immediate effect.

“We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Dhaka with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority. For more information, please call our 24/7 Contact Centre at 011-69329333 / 011-69329999,” Air India posted on X.

All passenger trains between India and Bangladesh such as Bandhan Express, Maitri Express and Mitali Express have been indefinitely suspended, according to the Railway Ministry. Freight train services have been suspended, too.