DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) 鈥� Nobel laureate took the oath of office as head of Bangladesh鈥檚 interim government Thursday after an uprising prompted former Prime Minister to step down and flee to India.
The key tasks for Yunus now are restoring peace in Bangladesh and preparing for new elections following weeks of violence in which student activists led an uprising against what was considered Hasina鈥檚 increasingly autocratic 15-year rule.
Bangladesh鈥檚 figurehead President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus for his role as chief advisor, which is the equivalent to a prime minister, in presence of foreign diplomats, civil society members, top businessmen and members of the former opposition party at the presidential palace in Dhaka. No representatives of Hasina's party were present.
Sixteen other people have been included in the interim Cabinet with members drawn mainly from civil society and including two of the student protest leaders. The Cabinet members were chosen in among student leaders, civil society representatives and the military.
Hasina quit on Monday after several chaotic weeks that began in July with protests against a quota system for government jobs that critics said favored people with connections to Hasina鈥檚 party. But the demonstrations soon grew into a bigger challenge for Hasina鈥檚 15-year rule, as more than 300 people including students were killed amid spiraling violence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his best wishes to Yunus in a statement on social media platform X, and alluded to reports that Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh had been targeted during the country's unrest in recent days.
鈥淲e hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities,鈥� Modi said. 鈥淚ndia remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development.鈥�
Yunus, who was awarded for his work developing microcredit markets, was in the French capital for the 2024 Olympics when he was chosen for the interim role, and returned home earlier Thursday to tight security at the airport in Dhaka.
In his first comments after his arrival, he told a news briefing that his priority would be to restore order. 鈥淏angladesh is a family. We have to unite it,鈥� Yunus said, flanked by student leaders. 鈥淚t has immense possibility.鈥�
On Wednesday in Paris, Yunus had called for calm and an end to all partisan violence.
Hasina鈥檚 son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who acts as an adviser to his mother, vowed Wednesday that his family and the Awami League party would continue to be engaged in Bangladesh鈥檚 politics 鈥� a reversal from what he鈥檇 said earlier in the week after Hasina stepped down Monday and fled to India.
The president had dissolved Parliament on Tuesday, clearing the path for the interim administration.
On Wednesday, a tribunal in Dhaka acquitted Yunus in a labor law violation case involving a telecommunication company he founded, in which he was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail. He had been released on bail in the case.
Yunus has been a longtime opponent of Hasina, who had called him a 鈥渂loodsucker鈥� allegedly for using force to extract loan repayments from rural poor, mainly women. Yunus has denied the allegations.
The chaos on Bangladesh's streets continued after Hasina鈥檚 resignation on Monday. Dozens of police officers were killed, prompting police to stop working across the country. They threatened not to return unless their safety is ensured. The looting of firearms also was reported in local media.
The unrest began in mid-July with protests over the quota system, but grew into a broader challenge over an administration that was marked by human rights abuses, corruption, allegations of rigged elections and a brutal crackdown on opponents.
Joy, Hasina鈥檚 son, said in a social media post on Wednesday that his family would return to politics despite what he said have been attacks on the Awami League party over the past week. Many observers see Joy as Hasina鈥檚 successor in a that dominates the 小蓝视频 Asian nation鈥檚 politics.
鈥淚f we want to build a new Bangladesh, it is not possible without the Awami League,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Awami League is the oldest, democratic, and largest party in Bangladesh."
Overnight into Thursday, residents across Dhaka carried sticks, iron rods and sharp weapons to guard their neighborhoods amid reports of robberies. Communities used loudspeakers in mosques to alert people that robberies were occurring, and police remained off duty. The military shared hotline numbers for people seeking help.
The quick move to select Yunus came when Hasina鈥檚 resignation created a power vacuum and left the future unclear for Bangladesh, which has a history of military rule, messy politics and myriad crises.
Many fear that Hasina鈥檚 in the densely populated nation of some 170 million people, which is already dealing with high unemployment, corruption and a complex strategic relationship with India, China and the United States.
Hasina, 76, was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January, in an election boycotted by her main opponents. Thousands of opposition members were jailed before the vote, and the U.S. and U.K. denounced the result as not credible.
Julhas Alam, The Associated Press
