By Ragheema Mclean
The presidency of Bangladesh has announced that Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus will head an interim government following mass protests that forced longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country.
The appointment of Yunus, who is credited with lifting millions out of poverty in Bangladesh, came swiftly after student leaders called for his leadership.
The decision was made in a high-stakes meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the heads of the army, navy, and air force, and student representatives.
Speaking on VOC’s News Beat show, Sorwar Alam, a journalist at Anadolu Agency said Yunus’ appointment has sparked hope in the region.
“He is not only an internationally known figure; he leads some of the biggest institutions in Bangladesh. I think he is the right choice to lead the country. If we look at his career, I think he can lead the government and country to a free and fair elections.”
“There is a lot of work to be done and they will need time. I think given his background and past career, he has a good reputation; he will not stay long. He will just lead until the elections. Of course, this won’t be a very easy task for them – they must find all the perpetrators and make way for reforms within various sectors and for them to rebuild the country.”
Meanwhile, he also noted the widespread support for Yunus across all sectors of society, “All sectors of society are supporting this.”
“There certainly is hope. The students who have protested are protecting all state institutions and infrastructure. Under the current situation, the military is in close contact with all aspects of society, and they’ve made this decision because of the society.”
Hasina, who had been struggling to contain nationwide protests against her administration since early July, fled the country after a violent day of unrest on Sunday resulted in nearly 100 deaths.
Alam noted, “Sheikh Hasina established a very strong police, military, and political party groups that supported her for the last 15 years. The truth is those groups have committed many atrocities and when they said they wouldn’t be able to support her anymore – she didn’t have any option but to flee the country.”
“Currently she is in India, where she will go next is up to her, she will decide what is the best option for her.”
VOC News
Photo:@FreedomforBD/X
