Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Yunus Returns to Bangladesh to Head New Government

After Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure was overthrown by a student-led insurrection, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus returned to Bangladesh on Thursday to assume the role of caretaker government leader.

Soon after 2:00 pm (0800 GMT), Yunus arrived in Dhaka from Paris via Dubai. The army chief has promised that Yunus will lead the nation through a “beautiful democratic process,” and he might take office as president as early as Thursday night.

When security forces opened fire on demonstrators seeking Hasina’s resignation a week ago, it was nearly unthinkable that Yunus, eighty-four, would be standing next to military officials.

Hasina was forced to flee to neighboring India when the military betrayed her over the weekend, as millions of Bangladeshis rejoiced in her death.

Then, in response to student demands, the military recognized Yunus, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2006 for his groundbreaking work in microfinance, as the head of a provisional administration.

As he left for Dhaka, Yunus told reporters in Paris, “I’m looking forward to going back home, see what’s happening and how we can organise ourselves to get out of the trouble we are in.”

“Prepare”

After being found not guilty on a charge that was deemed politically motivated, the seasoned academic left the country this year while on bail. On Wednesday, a Dhaka court cleared him of all charges.

More than 100 criminal complaints against Yunus were filed, and he was the target of a smear campaign by an Islamic institution under state control, which claimed he was encouraging homosexuality. Courts were also accused of approving rulings made by Hasina’s overthrown government.

Yunus has the support of Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who expressed his expectation that Yunus will be sworn in to lead the interim administration on Thursday evening.

Waker remarked, “I am confident that he can lead us through a stunning democratic process.”

Elections should take place “within a few” months, according to Yunus.

“Earthquake moment”

The military’s position in the proposed administration is one of the few additional facts that have been made public.

However, as they participated in a demonstration for the former opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) on Wednesday in Dhaka, Bangladeshis expressed optimism.

Moynul Islam Pintu told AFP, “I expect that a national government will be formed with everyone’s consent in a beautiful way.”

“I hope the nation is managed well and that the police force is changed to prevent harassment of citizens.”

As hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Dhaka on Monday, Hasina, 76, who had been in office since 2009, announced her resignation.

Later, jubilant mobs invaded her palace and stole everything.

The events of Monday marked the end of over a month of turmoil that started out as demonstrations against a government job quota plan but eventually turned into an anti-Hasina movement.

Hasina sent security forces to put an end to the protests after being charged with widespread violations of human rights and electoral manipulation in January.

According to an AFP count based on police, government authorities, and hospital doctors, at least 455 people died during the turmoil.

“Thomas Kean, an analyst with International Crisis Group, said that the protests are a seismic moment in Bangladesh’s history.”

“They managed to remove her from power through a nonviolent street-based movement led by Gen Z students in their 20s, as the country truly had been on the verge of becoming a one-party state.”

– Military action

The turning point in her life was the military’s betrayal of her.

Since then, it has complied with numerous more requests made by the student leaders.

On Tuesday, the president dissolved the legislature, which was a major demand made by the BNP and students.

The police chief, who demonstrators have accused of spearheading Hasina’s crackdown, was fired on Tuesday.

Mainul Islam, the new chief, promised a “fair and impartial investigation” into the deaths of “students, common people, and the police” and apologized on Wednesday for the actions of the officers.

Along with the liberation of several political prisoners, Khaleda Zia, the 78-year-old former prime minister and chairperson of the BNP, was also freed from years of house detention.

Some generals deemed close to Hasina have been downgraded by the military, while Ziaul Ahsan, the head of the paramilitary unit known as the Rapid Action Battalion, has been fired.

Authorities reported that rioters had released over 500 prisoners from a jail and carried out retaliatory attacks against law enforcement and Hasina’s supporters.

Demonstrators set fire to TV stations and broke into the parliament. Some others destroyed statues of the nation’s independence hero, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is Hasina’s father.

But since Tuesday, the capital’s streets have mostly remained quiet.