Muhammad Yunus returns to Bangladesh to take office

Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s next leader, returned from an overseas trip to take office on Thursday, encouraging people to remain calm and prepared to rebuild the country following an uprising that toppled previous Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year, more dictatorial leadership.

Before departing Paris, where he had been attending the Olympics, Muhammad Yunus called for peace in Bangladesh amid disputes about the country’s future. Bangladesh’s military chief will greet Muhammad Yunus as he arrives at Dhaka’s main international airport on Thursday afternoon.

Military officials, civic leaders, and student activists who spearheaded the revolt against Hasina appointed Muhammad Yunus as interim leader after their discussions. On Wednesday, just before boarding a plane home, he made his first public statements in the French capital.

Authorities announced that President Mohammed Shahabuddin will swear him in on Thursday night.

Muhammad Yunus urges calm

Muhammad Yunus welcomed the student demonstrators, stating they made “our second Victory Day possible.” He urged them and other stakeholders to remain peaceful and denounced the violence that erupted following Hasina’s resignation on Monday.

“Violence is the enemy. Please do not make additional enemies. “Be calm and prepare to build the country,” Muhammad Yunus advised.

Bangladesh’s military head, Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman, said in a televised address on Wednesday that he anticipated Muhammad Yunus ushering in a “beautiful democratic” transition.

Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering microcredit markets, expressed his desire to return home and organize to address the current situation.

When asked about the election date, he raised his hands to indicate it was too soon.

“I’ll go talk to them.” “I’m just new to this whole area,” he replied.

A Dhaka panel acquitted Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday in a labor code infringement case concerning a telecommunications business he created. He had been convicted and sentenced to six months in jail but was released on bond.

Shahabuddin, a symbolic figure functioning as chief executive under the constitution, directed security officers on Wednesday to take strong action against any troublemakers.

The president dissolved Parliament on Tuesday, allowing an interim administration to hold new elections.

Muhammad Yunus has long been an opponent of Hasina, who once dubbed him a “bloodsucker” for reportedly employing force to recover loan repayments from rural poor, primarily women. Muhammad Yunus has disputed the charges.

Violent incidents have killed more than 300 individuals in the weeks after July 15. Rising tensions before Hasina’s resignation caused mayhem, leading police officers to flee their stations after being attacked. Assailants killed dozens of officers, triggering the nationwide suspension of law enforcement operations. Officers threatened not to return until their safety was secured. Local media also reported the looting of firearms.

Anti-government protest movement

Muhammad Yunus returns to Bangladesh to take office

The mayhem began in July with protests against a quota system for government posts, which critics claimed favored those with ties to Hasina’s party. However, the rallies quickly broadened into a direct challenge to Hasina’s 15-year leadership, marked by human rights violations, corruption, claims of election rigging, and a ruthless assault on her opponents.

The fast selection of Muhammad Yunus followed Hasina’s resignation, creating a power vacuum and leaving Bangladesh’s future uncertain. Bangladesh has a history of military rule, complicated politics, and numerous crises.

Many believe Hasina’s departure will cause even more instability in the densely populated country of 170 million people, which is already coping with high unemployment, corruption, and a complicated geopolitical relationship with India, China, and the United States.

Hasina, 76, won her fourth term in January in an election that her major opponents boycotted. Authorities imprisoned thousands of opposition members before the vote, leading the United States and the United Kingdom to condemn the outcome as illegitimate.