Students who led mass protests in Bangladesh that resulted in the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have gotten another one of their wishes. After refusing to accept a military-led government, they pushed for the appointment of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as interim government leader, and he agreed. "When the students who sacrificed so much are requesting me to step in at this difficult juncture, how can I refuse?" Professor Yunus said. While Prof Yunus has been lauded for his pioneering use of microloans, which won him and his Grameen Bank a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, Ms Hasina regarded him as a public enemy – he is currently on bail, appealing against a six-month jail term in what he has called a politically motivated case. The 84-year-old is returning to Dhaka from Paris where, according to his spokesperson, he is undergoing a minor medical procedure.
Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus will serve as the head of the interim government of Bangladesh. This decision was taken in a meeting of President Mohammed Shahabuddin with chiefs of the three services and the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement to finalize the outline of the interim government at Bangabhaban on Tuesday (Aug 6) night. Later, President's Press Secretary Md. Joynal Abedin told the media that the head of state Shahabuddin gave coscent to the proposal of the meeting.
The President said the names of other members to the interim government would be finalized in consultation with other political parties of the country. The President, also a valiant freedom fighter, emphasized to induct a valiant freedom fighter as an adviser to the interim government.
The meeting was held from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
During the meeting, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Dhaka University Law Department Professor Asif Nazrul and International Relations Department Professor Tanzim Uddin Khan were present.
The President said, “The country is passing through a deep crisis and in order to resolve this problem, an iterim government must form as soon as possible". He urged everyone to work together to resolve this crisis.
Thirteen coordinators of anti-discrimination student movement – Arif Sohail, Sarjis Alam, Nazifa Jannat, Nusrat Tabassum, Khan Talat Mahmud Rafy, Abu Sadiq, Ivan Tahseer, Asif Mahmud, Md Nahid Islam, Mohammad Naseeruddin Patwari, Mahfuz Alam, Abubakar Majumdar and Hasnat Abdullah – were present there.
