Muhammad Yunus Likely To Lead Interim Govt In Bangladesh; Delhi Hosts All-Party Meet

Dhaka: Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus may head an interim government in violence-hit Bangladesh after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina-led government on Monday. Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement proposed have proposed Yunus’ name for leading the interim government, according to a report by Dhaka Tribune.

Student leaders Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and Abu Bakar Mazumdar released a video message in which they announced Yunus’ name as the next prime minister of the country.

“We took 24 hours to announce a framework for the interim government. However, considering the emergency situation, we are announcing it now,” Nahid said, according to the report.

Who is Muhammad Yunus?

The 83-year-old was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering microcredit to help impoverished people, especially women, through the Grameen Bank. He is the founder of the bank.

However, he is facing over 150 cases, including major corruption charges that could see him jailed for years. He has denied all charges. In June, A Dhaka court indicted him for embezzling more than USD two million from the dividends of the employees of a telecom company. In January, Yunus was sentenced to six months in jail on a separate charge of violating labour laws but was granted bail. He has challenged the sentence before the Supreme Court’s High Court Division.

All-Party Meet In India

An all-party meeting was underway in the Parliament on the issue of Bangladesh on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed the members of different political parties. Congress MP Rajiv Shukla has given an Adjournment Motion notice in Rajya Sabha, to have a discussion on the political situation in Bangladesh and its potential impact on India.

As anarchy took over on the streets and institutions of Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India, New Delhi took stock of the situation in its neighbouring country and adopted measures to ensure safety and security. The Border Security Force (BSF) issued a “high alert” along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border, with BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior officers reaching Kolkata to review the security situation, officials said.