Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Mohammed Yunus took the oath on Thursday evening as head of Bangladesh's interim government. Four days earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to resign and flee to neighboring India. The 84-year-old Yunus took his oath at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Dhaka on Thursday night, which was attended by politicians, civil society members, generals, and diplomats.
After being sworn in by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, Yunus stated, 'I will protect, uphold, and defend the Constitution.' Over a dozen members of his council, who have been designated as advisors rather than ministers, also took the oath. Among those sworn in were student leaders Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmood, who were leading anti-reservation protests in Bangladesh.
Members of the Interim Government of Bangladesh
The interim government led by Mohammed Yunus announced a 16-member advisory council. This government will lead crisis-hit Bangladesh for a set period and oversee the elections to transfer power to an elected government. Among others, the council includes former Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain and former Attorney General Hasan Arif. Award-winning environmental lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan and top professor and author Asif Nazrul were also sworn in.
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Who Are the 16 Members of the Interim Government?
Sheikh Hasina Resigned and Left the Country
It should be noted that after violent protests in the neighboring country, Sheikh Hasina resigned from the prime minister’s post and left the country. Three days later, Yunus was sworn in as the head of the caretaker government. The interim government is tasked with organizing new elections in Bangladesh.
The 84-year-old economist Yunus received support from student protesters as interim leader. He returned to Dhaka from Paris on Thursday. Speaking to the media at the airport, Yunus said, 'We will follow whatever path our students guide us on.'
Mohammed Yunus, now the new head of Bangladesh, becomes the 32nd individual to have won a Nobel Prize and then taken up the role of a national leader. Before him, 31 other Nobel laureates globally have held top national leadership roles.
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Who is Mohammed Yunus?
Known as the 'banker to the poor,' Yunus and his Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. They helped pull millions of people out of poverty by giving small loans of less than $100 to the poor who couldn't get help from large banks. His model of microcredit inspired many similar initiatives globally, including in developed countries like the USA.
In the United States, Yunus also started a separate non-profit organization, Grameen America. As Yunus, now 84, became more successful, he gravitated towards a career in politics. In 2007, he even made an attempt to establish his own party. However, as his political ambitions grew, Sheikh Hasina became displeased and accused Yunus of 'sucking the blood of the poor.'
