President: Nobel Prize winner Yunus to lead transitional government in Bangladesh
Shahabuddin has assured that the transitional government should be formed "as soon as possible," said student leader Nahid Islam following a meeting with the president. In connection with the violent riots and numerous deaths during the protests, the national police chief was dismissed, the presidential office announced further.
Hasina fled Bangladesh on Monday after 15 years in power and weeks of mass protests, some of which turned violent with hundreds of deaths. Protesters had stormed her official residence and set fire to television 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.
Yunus had previously emphasized that the transitional government is "only the beginning. True pacification can only come through 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 supporters criticized as political persecution.
Yunus had 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 following statements were made by Yunus regarding the transitional government: "The transitional government is only the beginning. True pacification can only come through free elections." Furthermore, he expressed concern about the lack of change without elections, stating, "Without elections, there will be no change."
