Dhaka, Aug 8: Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to quit and flee the country amid massive unrest in the country , Al Jazeera reported.
Yunus, 84, took oath at a ceremony in Dhaka on Thursday night.
Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, two key organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, were also part of the 16-member advisory council.
The country has been marred with violence after protests, led majorly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.
The key tasks for Yunus will now be to restore peace in Bangladesh and prepare for the new elections.
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, as per Al Jazeera.
The ceremony was held in the presence of foreign diplomats, civil society members, top businessmen and members of the former opposition party at the presidential palace in Dhaka.
However, no representatives of Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League were present.
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and founder of Grameen Bank, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts to create economic and social development through microcredit.
Upon arriving in Bangladesh earlier in the day, the Nobel laureate made a heartfelt appeal to his supporters and urged the people of Bangladesh to maintain calm and end chaos, stressing that it is the “first responsibility” to ensure that no attack is carried out against anyone in the country, Daily Star reported.
He further stressed that Bangladesh has tremendous potential but the first priority is to save the country from chaos so that the country can proceed on the “path shown by students.”
“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,” Yunus told a crowded press briefing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his arrival on Thursday.
“What I would like to stress first is to save the country from chaos. Save the country from violence so that we can move forward on the path that the students have shown us,” he added.
Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina, tendering her resignation from her post on August 5 in the wake of mounting protests. The protests, led majorly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.
Following her fleeing from the country, the situation in Bangladesh has been volatile, with reports showing Awami League offices, members and people of minority communities being targeted by extremist groups. Several cases of killings and arson have also been reported.
The advisory council members are:
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of BELA;
Farida Akhtar, women’s rights activist;
Adilur Rahman Khan, founder of Odhikar;
AFM Khalid Hossain, Hefazat-e-Islam nayeb-e-ameer and Islami Andolan Bangladesh adviser;
Nurjahan Begum, Grameen Telecom trustee;
Sharmeen Murshid, freedom fighter;
Bir Pratik Faruk-e-Azam;
Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, DU students and key organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement;
Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor of Bangladesh Bank;
Prof Asif Nazrul, Dhaka University law professor;
AF Hassan Ariff, former attorney general and adviser of Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government;
Brigadier General (retired) M Sakhawat Hossain;
Supradip Chakma, chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB);
Prof Bidhan Ranjan Roy, director of the National Institute of Mental Health & Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry;
Touhid Hossain, former foreign secretary.
(ANI)
