Muhammad Yunus Returns to Lead Bangladesh Amid Political Turmoil

Dhaka, Aug 8 (Reuters) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus returned to Bangladesh on Thursday to head an interim government following a series of student-led protests that led to the resignation and departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Yunus, 84, arrived in Dhaka after receiving medical treatment in Paris, having been chosen by protesters to lead a transitional government tasked with organizing elections.

Yunus, a well-known critic of Hasina, was welcomed by senior military officers and student leaders at the airport. He expressed optimism about the country's future, stating, "The country has the possibility of becoming a very beautiful nation." Yunus emphasized the need to protect the freedom gained by the student protesters and committed to following the path they charted.

"We had ended those possibilities, now again we have to rise up. To the government officials here and defense chiefs - we are a family, we should move ahead together," Yunus said.

Yunus is scheduled to be sworn in as the head of a team of advisers at 1430 GMT at President Mohammed Shahabuddin's official residence. The interim government will operate without the involvement of Hasina's Awami League party, which has been sidelined following her resignation on Monday. The resignation came after weeks of violent clashes that resulted in approximately 300 deaths and thousands of injuries.

Despite Hasina's departure, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy stated on Facebook that the Awami League had not given up and was prepared to engage in discussions with both opponents and the interim government. "I had said my family will no longer be involved in politics but the way our party leaders and workers are being attacked, we cannot give up," Joy said.

Yunus, often referred to as the "banker to the poor," was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his role in founding a bank that advanced the fight against poverty through microloans. His return marks a dramatic shift in the country's leadership following Hasina's flight from power, which triggered celebrations and violent incidents as protesters stormed and looted her official residence.

Hasina is currently sheltering at an air base near New Delhi, India, a situation that Yunus noted has caused some resentment towards India among Bangladeshis. The student-led movement that forced Hasina's departure initially emerged from protests over government job quotas, which escalated into violent clashes that drew international condemnation. The Bangladeshi government denied allegations of excessive force.

The protests were also fueled by severe economic conditions and political repression, stemming from the country's liberation war from Pakistan in 1971. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had previously boycotted two national elections following the arrest of its leaders. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic challenges, with high inflation, rising unemployment, and depleted reserves pushing the Hasina government to seek a $4.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Khaleda Zia, Hasina's longtime rival and BNP leader, called for an end to violence and destruction in a video address to supporters following her release from house arrest. "No destruction, revenge or vengeance," Zia urged, as the BNP continued to demand elections within three months.