Nobel Prize winner Yunus calls for Bangladesh to renounce violence
"Stay calm and prepare to build the country. If we take the path of violence, everything will be destroyed," said Yunus, currently in Europe, addressing the population. Bangladesh is a "wonderful country" with many exciting opportunities, he added.
Yunus was appointed as the head of an interim government on Tuesday following weeks of violent mass protests and the escape of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The student organization SAD also advocated for the 84-year-old.
In the 1980s, Yunus helped millions of people in the South Asian country out of poverty through the granting of microloans. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this in 2006.
Immediately before Yunus' return, a sentence against him by a labor court was lifted, according to his lawyer. Yunus and three colleagues were acquitted, Khaja Tanvir Ahmed announced. All four had been sentenced to six months in prison in January but were released on bail pending appeal.
Observers and human rights activists described the trial as politically motivated. More than a hundred legal proceedings were initiated against Yunus, who was considered an opponent of Prime Minister Hasina, but only once did it lead to a conviction.
The German government welcomed the announcement of an interim government in Bangladesh. "What Yunus has done for millions of people - especially for the independence and self-determination of women - is unparalleled," said a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. He also called for an independent investigation of the recent violence and the release of "arbitrarily detained" people.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina fled the country on Monday after weeks of student protests. The protests initially targeted a quota system for job allocation in the public sector but later escalated into demands for the prime minister's resignation.
Millions of people took to the streets. According to figures from the news agency AFP, at least 413 people were killed in the violent clashes between protesters and security forces.
Renouncing violence was advocated by Yunus in his message to the population, emphasizing the need to avoid destruction and focus on rebuilding Bangladesh. The interim government, headed by Yunus, sought to uphold peace and order, aiming to create a conducive environment for the country's development.
