New Delhi: Muhammad Yunus, the only Nobel laureate from Bangladesh, said Tuesday that he is ready to head the interim government of the country, and is “honoured” by the trust placed on him by student protesters.
“I am honoured by the trust of the protesters who wish for me to lead the interim government,” Yunus told AFP in a written statement.
“If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it,” he said, while pushing for “free elections” to be held in the country.
Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank, a pioneering institution in microfinance which lifted millions of Bangladeshis out of poverty, is being urged by the student protestors to return. They also want him to handle the affairs of the interim government.
Yunus told ThePrint Monday that politics is not his “cup of tea”, but promised that he would return to the country at the earliest to continue his work. Currently, he is in Paris as a special invitee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the ongoing Olympics.
In January, he was convicted of violating Bangladesh’s labour laws and is currently out on bail. Yunus has been consistently attacked by the Sheikh Hasina-led government over the years.
What led to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as Bangladesh’s PM
Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, resigned Monday and fled the country after 15 years as the head of its government. She resigned after the anti-quota uproar, which began in June, evolved into a challenge to her continued rule in the country.
In July and early August, the protests turned violent, with at least 200 people being killed between 15 and 21 July after a brutal crackdown by the law enforcement agencies. On Sunday, nearly 100 people were killed after the protests resumed with a one-point agenda — the resignation of Hasina.
Hasina is currently in India, but she wishes to leave for a third country. The UK, her destination of choice, is unwilling to allow her temporary refuge or asylum, and hence, she is looking to go to Dubai in the UAE, ThePrint reported earlier.
Despite Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh, there have been instances of violent attacks against houses, businesses and places of worship of minorities across the country.
Multiple temples have been looted and burned, ThePrint reported earlier. According to local media reports, mobs have also targeted Awami League party members. In one instance, they set fire to a hotel owned by a party leader, which resulted in the death of at least 24 people, including one foreign national.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament Tuesday and promised the formation of an interim government. According to the Constitution of Bangladesh, elections must be held 90 days after the dissolution of Parliament.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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