Nobel-winning economist Muhammad Yunus will lead the interim government in Bangladesh, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following an uprising by citizens
Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus will head the interim government in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned. Hasina fled the country following a mass uprising by the country's citizens against her rule. The leaders of the mobilizations were mainly students.
The 84-year-old Yunus, also known as the “banker of the poor”, became famous because thanks to his bank, which was a pioneer in microfinance, he helped millions of people escape from poverty. For this achievement he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2006.
At the time, the Nobel committee explained that it was awarding him “for the creation of economic and social opportunities for the poor, and especially for women, through of their innovative work in granting small loans and guarantees”. He also developed the concepts of microcredit and microfinance.
Nevertheless, he was persecuted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, forcing him to leave the country. Hasina, among other things, accused him of “drinking the blood of the poor”. Mohammed Yunus lives in Paris, from where he will return to Bangladesh to take up his duties.
The announcement was made early on Wednesday (late Tuesday evening Greek time) by the press representative of the president of Bangladesh, Mohammad Shahabuddin.
Shahabuddin's spokesman said the remaining members of the Yunus-led government will be decided soon, after discussion with political parties and other stakeholders.
The leaders of student protests, the chiefs of the country's three military branches and members of civil society, as well as some business leaders, held a meeting with the president for more than five hours late Tuesday (local time) to decide who to nominate to lead of the interim government that will undertake to bring Bangladesh out of the political crisis. The students were the ones who proposed Yunus.
