Nobel Prize winner Yunus ready to lead transitional government in Bangladesh
"The transitional government is just the beginning. True pacification can only be achieved with free elections. Without elections, there will be no change," Yunus added.
The Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, which led the anti-government protests, brought economist Yunus into play as the transitional government's head. "We trust Dr. Yunus," declared Asif Mahmud, a SAD leader. Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Tuesday that he wanted to consult with the students about the proposal.
Yunus has long been considered a political opponent of Hasina. More than a hundred legal cases are pending against him, which supporters have criticized as political persecution. The 84-year-old founded the Grameen Bank in the 1980s, which provides microloans to the poorest people in Bangladesh. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.
The army chief had announced the formation of a transitional government after Hasina's flight. President Mohammed Shahabuddin also dissolved parliament and ordered the release of opposition leader Khaleda Zia from house arrest.
Originally, the protesters took to the streets against a quota system for jobs in the public service, which they believed favored supporters of Hasina. Over time, the goal of the protest movement became the resignation of the prime minister who had been in office since 2009. In recent weeks, millions of people have taken to the streets.
There have been violent clashes between government supporters and opponents, and security forces have fired into the crowd with guns. At least 113 people were killed on Monday alone, making it the bloodiest day since the mass protests began in early July. According to AFP figures, at least 413 people have been killed in total.
The SAD movement's choice of economist Yunus as the transitional government's head was a significant step towards establishing a transitional government. However, the failure to hold free elections under this transitional government could hinder the achievement of true pacification.
