Who Will Be The Next PM Of Bangladesh? Is It Nobel Winner Yunus?

It has been announced by the coordinators of Students against Discrimination-Mo. Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and Abu Bakr Mazumdar-that Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus will serve as the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh.

This announcement was made at 4:40 am (Bangladesh time) on Tuesday through a video statement.

Who is Nobel Winner Yunus?

The statement read, "The outline of our interim government is now being announced due to the emergency situation. Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who is universally accepted and internationally renowned, has been proposed as the chief adviser. We have already spoken with Dr. Yunus, and he has agreed to take on this crucial responsibility at the call of the student community to save Bangladesh."

An appeal has been made to Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin to announce the interim government. "We appeal to the President to quickly form the interim government with Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the chief advisor. The names of the other members of this interim government will be announced by this morning," read the statement. "We want to see the formation process of this government by this morning."

Following over a month of deadly protests, the 15-year rule of Bangladesh's prime minister was ended on Monday as she fled the country. A plan for an interim government, with Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus as its proposed head, has been outlined by the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

As stated by Bangladesh's Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, all government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous, and private organizations, and factories across the country are to be reopened starting Tuesday morning.

Bangladesh Unrest 2024

In recent weeks, Bangladesh has witnessed a tumultuous period marked by widespread unrest and significant political upheaval. Over 11,000 arrests have been made amidst protests that have forced the closure of schools and universities across the country. At one point, the situation escalated to the imposition of a shoot-on-sight curfew.

Amidst the turmoil, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year tenure has recently ended under pressure, offered to engage in dialogue with student leaders. However, the protesters, led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, firmly demanded her resignation. Hasina, while expressing willingness to meet the protesters and pledging to investigate the violence, faced a steadfast opposition.

Reports from Indian media indicate that Hasina fled to India's northeastern city of Agartala. Intelligence sources suggest that New Delhi is prepared to offer her safe passage.

Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has been the longest-serving prime minister, with her latest term beginning in 2009. Her rule has been marred by allegations of violence and suppression of opposition. Earlier this year, elections were held without the establishment of an interim government, which was supposed to ensure fair and free elections. Instead, opposition parties faced severe restrictions, leading to widespread discontent and protests.

The unrest began last month when students protested the High Court's decision to reinstate a controversial job quota system favouring children of war veterans. The government responded by shutting down universities, imposing a curfew, and cutting off internet access. The situation escalated with around 200 deaths, primarily among students, and thousands of arrests.

Despite a court ruling on July 21 to scale back the quotas, protests resumed with new demands for justice and Hasina's resignation. In response, Hasina labelled the demonstrators as criminals and vowed a strong crackdown.

What began as student protests has now evolved into what many consider a revolution, as the nation grapples with deep-seated resentment against Hasina's regime. This period of unrest reflects the broader dissatisfaction and calls for change within Bangladesh.