Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Takes Oath As Head Of Bangladesh

Nobel Peace prize recipient Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the leader of a temporary government in bangladesh on Thursday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to Yunus, who was appointed as the chief advisor of a team of 13 other advisors, at a ceremony held at the presidential palace in Dhaka.

Yunus was chosen to head the interim government on Tuesday, following the resignation and departure to india of prime minister Sheikh Hasina due to widespread protests against her government's controversial quota system for jobs. Yunus, known for his groundbreaking work on microlending, won the Nobel Peace prize in 2006.

“We must safeguard this freedom – not only protect it, but also ensure that it reaches every single household. Otherwise, freedom will be meaningless... The whole of bangladesh is one large family, and we aim to progress together by resolving all doubts and differences,” he remarked.

At 84 years old, Yunus, appointed by President Mohammed Shahabuddin as head of the interim government after prime minister Hasina stepped down, was warmly greeted by various leaders upon assuming office. indian prime minister Narendra Modi was among the first to extend his best wishes to professor Muhammad Yunus after he took the oath.

“My best wishes to professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. india remains committed to working with bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development,” PM Modi said in a post.

Yunus, who was in paris for the Olympic Games, returned to the country via dubai on thursday on an Emirates flight. Upon his arrival at the airport, he was welcomed by Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, senior officials, student leaders, and civil society members. At a heartfelt press conference at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal international Airport, Yunus characterized the change in Bangladesh's leadership as a “second independence”.

“Today is a day of our pride,” he declared. “We have gained independence for the second time. We must protect this independence.” He expressed appreciation for the youth whose protests against Hasina were successful, and emphasized his commitment to “preventing violence in our country so that we can follow the path shown to us by the students.” He urged people from all walks of life to heed his words and stated that he took charge of the interim administration in response to the call from students and youths.

‘Have faith in me and trust me’

“If you have faith in me and trust me, then ensure that there will be no attack anywhere in the country. This is our first responsibility,” he said at the crowded press briefing. “If I can’t do it and you do not listen to me, I don’t have any utility here.” He described the disorderly activities and attacks on minority communities as “part of a conspiracy”.

“We need to establish a government that guarantees the safety of its citizens,” he emphasized. Yunus stressed that the nation was now in the hands of the young people. “The nation is in your hands now. Now you have to rebuild it as per your aspirations. You have to use your creativity to build the country. You have earned independence for the country,” he said. “We need to change our state structure and remove all elements of fear from it, so that people look at it and think that the state has been formed to safeguard them,” Yunus added.