Muhammad Yunus to head  transitional government in Bangladesh

Following Sheikh Hasina's ouster, Bangladesh’s lone Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will serve as the head of the country’s transitional government, according to an official statement.

The decision on Tuesday, confirmed by the president's press secretary Joynal Abedin, was reached during a meeting involving President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the chiefs of the country’s armed forces, and leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which had led weeks of tumultuous anti-government protests.

Earlier Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus agreed to lead the interim Bangladesh government after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a weeks-long deadly protest, his spokesperson announced on Tuesday.

Yunus will fill the vacuum left by Hasina, who fled the country after violence surged in the streets on Monday.

Yunus had been in Paris, France, for a minor medical procedure, his spokesperson said. He is to return to Bangladesh 'immediately' once his doctors approve.

De-escalation

Bangladesh was rocked by demonstrations that began as a protest against government quotas for jobs, but escalated out of control as protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the 15-year-governance of Sheikh Hasina and demanded her resignation.

On August 5, 2024, Hasina tendered her resignation and fled Bangladesh for India. Her future plans are unknown although there are media reports that she will travel on to the UK.

The Bangladeshi army has invited all citizens to peaceful de-escalation, saying an interim government would be set up until elections could be held in the country.

Student leaders, speaking on behalf of many protesters, had made it clear that they preferred Muhammad Yunus to guide Bangladesh as the interim government seeks to establish order and unity.