Student Protesters Demand Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Flees Bangladesh
Bangladesh Protesters Rally in Support of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus for Government Role Student protesters in Bangladesh are calling for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to be appointed as the chief adviser of a new interim government following the dramatic departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the country. Hasina, who had ruled Bangladesh for two decades, fled in response to a massive uprising against her administration.
The protests, which began as a reaction to an unpopular job quota scheme, escalated into a widespread youth-led movement demanding Hasina’s resignation. On Monday, the situation intensified with thousands of demonstrators marching on Hasina’s residence and taking control of Dhaka’s streets. The violence resulted in at least 135 fatalities, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman has announced that the military will engage in discussions with President Mohammed Shahabuddin and political party representatives to form a new government. Shahabuddin has also ordered the release of imprisoned ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia and the student protesters.
In a video statement, Nahid Islam from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement declared, “We have decided that an interim government will be formed, with internationally renowned Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser.” Islam added that Yunus, who has a broad acceptance across the country, has agreed to take on this role to help stabilize Bangladesh. Yunus, 84, has yet to comment publicly.
Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, is the founder of Grameen Bank, a pioneering microlender. He has been a prominent figure in Bangladesh and faced numerous legal challenges that his supporters claim were politically motivated by Hasina, who viewed him as a rival.
Following her ousting, Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana were reported to have arrived at a military base near New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has not disclosed Hasina’s current location. There have been reports suggesting that Hasina might seek asylum in the UK, where her sister lives and her niece, Tulip Siddiq, is a Labour MP. However, British officials have downplayed the likelihood of Hasina being granted asylum, citing the UK’s immigration rules which require asylum seekers to claim protection in the first safe country they enter.
Hasina’s departure has plunged Bangladesh into further political and economic turmoil. Her regime, which had become increasingly authoritarian, faced criticism following a disputed election earlier this year, which resulted in her securing a fifth term in office.
In the wake of Hasina’s exit, protesters have attacked and looted her former residence and other buildings, echoing the upheaval seen during the 2022 uprising in Sri Lanka that led to the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Statues of Sheikh Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a revered figure in Bangladesh’s independence, were also targeted.
The protests were initially ignited by discontent over a job quota system that reserved positions for specific groups, including descendants of the 1971 civil war veterans. The crackdown on these demonstrations had already claimed about 300 lives before Hasina’s resignation.
Badiul Alam Majumdar, an activist with Shujan: Citizens for Good Governance, highlighted the ongoing anger and frustration among the public, emphasizing the need for a new beginning while calling for an end to violence and revenge.
