Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus To Take Helm As Bangladesh's Interim Leader Today

Grappling with unrest, neighbouring Bangladesh is set to witness formation of its interim government today, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The 84-year-old Yunus, who was in Paris for a medical procedure, is on his way to Dhaka to assume his new role. The caretaker government is scheduled to be sworn in at 8 pm, according to the country's military chief.

Before departing Paris, Yunus spoke to reporters at Charles de Gaulle airport, expressing his anticipation: "Yes, I'm looking forward to going back home and see what's happening there and how we can organise ourselves to get out of the trouble that we are in," he said, as reported by Reuters.

In the meantime, the whereabouts of Sheikh Hasina, who recently resigned as Bangladesh's Prime Minister and fled to India with her sister, remain shrouded in mystery.

The Indian government is reportedly working on securing asylum for Hasina in a European nation, as per reports.

Here are the key points regarding the new Bangladesh interim government:

1. Yunus, Bangladesh's only Nobel laureate, is expected to be sworn in as the chief adviser along with a team of advisers today.

2. Yunus, a vocal critic of Sheikh Hasina, is returning to Dhaka from Paris, where he had been undergoing medical treatment.

3. Before boarding his flight on Wednesday evening, Yunus expressed his anticipation, stating, "I'm looking forward to going back home and see what's happening there and how we can organise ourselves to get out of the trouble that we're in."

4. At 84, Yunus has largely stayed away from politics and is renowned as the 'banker to the poor.' He was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for founding Grameen Bank, which revolutionized poverty alleviation by offering small loans to needy borrowers.

5. He was selected to lead the interim government following a meeting between Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin, military leaders, and heads of the Students Against Discrimination group.

6. On Wednesday, a court overturned Yunus' conviction in a labour case, where he had been sentenced to six months in jail in January.

7. The announcement of the new interim government came shortly after Sheikh Hasina's dramatic departure on Monday from Bangladesh, where she had served as Prime Minister for five terms.

8. Sheikh Hasina, 76, fled to India and is currently taking refuge at an air base near Delhi.

9. The country has been gripped by student protests against controversial government job quotas since July, which escalated into violent clashes, resulting in over 250 deaths and thousands of injuries.

10. The protests were driven by severe economic conditions and widespread political repression, contributing to the turmoil.