Muhammad Yunus Sworn In As Head Of Bangladesh’s Interim Government

Three days after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled and resigned from her post, Muhammad Yunus took oath as the leader of the country’s interim government. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at a ceremony held at the Presidential palace in the capital Dhaka.

“I will uphold, support and protect the constitution,” said Yunus , adding that he will perform his duties “sincerely”. He will now lead the caretaker government whose primary objective at the moment is to restore peace and order in a country that has been in turmoil since the start of July.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on social media platform X congratulating Yunus. He wrote, “We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development.”

The Background

On July 2, Bangladeshi students began protests against the government’s policy of reserving 56% of the government jobs for certain groups, including the children and grandchildren of Bangladeshi war veterans. In the weeks that followed, the clashes between protesters and law enforcement authorities grew violent, resulting in the death of more than 300 people .

Finally, on August 5, thousands of protestors stormed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s residence. Hasina handed in her resignation to President Mohammed Shahabuddin and fled to neighboring India on the same day.

The student protestors called on 2006 Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Younus to take charge of the interim government. Earlier this year, a Bangladesh court indicted Yunus – who pioneered microfinancing to uplift Bangladeshis from poverty – on embezzlement charges which Yunus denied.

On Thursday, he returned to Bangladesh from Paris , where he was traveling for the Olympics and took charge of Bangladesh’s interim government.  “Today is a glorious day for us,” Yunus said to reporters upon arrival at the Dhaka airport. “Bangladesh has created a new victory day. Bangladesh has got a second independence.”

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