- 84-year-old Nobel laureate to take over Bangladesh
Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead transitional government in Bangladesh. President Mohammed Shahabuddin made the decision at a meeting with the military leadership and representatives of the student organization SAD, the presidential office announced early Wednesday morning (local time). Yunus had agreed to lead the transitional government after leaders of SAD called on him to do so. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on Monday due to the weeks-long mass protests led by students.
Shahabuddin assured that the transitional government would be formed "as soon as possible," student leader Nahid Islam said after the meeting with the president. Meanwhile, the national police chief was dismissed following the violent clashes and numerous deaths during the protests, the presidential office added.
Yunus calls for free elections in Bangladesh
Hasina fled Bangladesh on Monday after 15 years in power and weeks of mass protests, some of which turned violent, leaving hundreds dead. Protesters had stormed her official residence and set fire to TV stations. Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman then announced the formation of a transitional government. "It's time to end the violence," he emphasized. Shahabuddin dissolved the parliament.
Before Shahabuddin's decision, Yunus stressed that the transitional government was "only the beginning. True peace can only come with free elections. Without elections, there will be no change." The 84-year-old had long been a political opponent of Hasina. More than a hundred legal cases were brought against him, which his supporters criticized as political persecution.
Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in the 1980s, which provides microloans to the poorest people in Bangladesh. In 2006, the economist was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this work.
The transitional government led by Yunus was established as a response to the weeks-long mass protests, which caused Prime Minister Hasina to seek refuge in India. Yunus further highlighted that while the transitional government is a step forward, true peace can only be achieved through free elections in Bangladesh.
