Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead interim government of Bangladesh

Kathmandu: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been named Bangladesh’s interim leader.

According to the BBC, Yunus is a longtime political foe of the country’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He was appointed a day after Ms Hasina fled the country following weeks of deadly protests calling for her resignation.

While Prof Yunus has been lauded for his pioneering use of microloans. Ms Hasina regarded him as a public enemy. Yunus is currently on bail, appealing a six-month jail term in what he has described as a politically motivated case.

Students pushed for Prof Yunus to lead the interim administration. The student protestors led the massive protests that unseated Ms Hasina and refused to accept a military-led government.

The decision to name Prof Yunus as chief adviser of the interim government followed a meeting between President Mohammed Shahabuddin, military leaders, and student leaders.

Prof Yunus is returning to Dhaka from Paris. He is undergoing a minor medical procedure.

The protests in Bangladesh began in early July with demands from university students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs but snowballed into a broader anti-government movement. More than 400 people lost their lives in violent clashes between government forces and protesters.