Nobel laureate economist to become Bangladesh leader

Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus will be the new leader of Bangladesh’s interim government after the dramatic exit of long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina following a popular uprising.

- SHWETA SHARMA

Mr Yunus, who is an 84-year-old acclaimed economist and one of the most prominent political rivals of Ms Hasina, has been announced as the chief adviser of the interim government by president Mohammed Shahabuddin’s press secretary. His appointment was favoured by student protest leaders who have led a mass movement against Ms Hasina since late June and rejected any possibilities of accepting a military-led government.

Mr Yunus will be in charge of restoring normalcy in violence-hit Bangladesh after a protest started against a quota system in government jobs turned into anger against the long-running government of Ms Hasina, leaving almost 400 people dead in mass demonstrations. The decision came during a meeting that included military chiefs, organisers of the student protests, prominent business leaders, and civil society members.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Yunus urged everyone to stay calm and refrain from violence. “I congratulate the brave students who took the lead in making our Second Victory Day possible and to the people for giving your total support to them. Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes,” he said. “This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations,” he said.