(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as Bangladesh’s interim leader. He vowed to “uphold, support and protect the constitution” during the ceremony, saying he would perform his duties “sincerely”.
The 84-year-old declared there is “a lot of work to be done” as he arrived in the country earlier on Thursday.
“People are excited,” he told the BBC moments after flying into the capital Dhaka from France.
His plane touched down just days after Sheikh Hasina – the woman who ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years – fled across the border to India.
Ms Hasina resigned as prime minister after weeks of student-led protests – which left hundreds dead – escalated and culminated in calls for her to stand down.
The decision to name Prof Yunus as chief adviser of the interim government followed a meeting between President Mohammed Shahabuddin, military leaders and student leaders.
The students had been clear they would not accept a military-led government, but wanted Prof Yunus to lead.
The hope is Prof Yunus, the so-called banker for the poor, will bring democracy back to Bangladesh after years of autocratic rule.
On Thursday, he emphasised the need for “discipline” as Bangladesh begins to rebuild.
“Hard work and get it done,” the smiling professor added as he made his way through the airport. “New opportunities have arrived.”
“Today is a glorious day for us,” he later told reporters, adding it was as if “Bangladesh has got a second independence” as he called for the restoration of law and order.
Bangladesh has been thrown into turmoil in recent weeks. More than 400 people are reported to have died after protests demanding the end of a civil service quota system began in June.
Many of those killed died after the Supreme Court backed student demands and largely scrapped the quota system last month.
In more recent weeks, the protests had become an anti-government movement. Students and their supporters had planned to march on the prime minister’s residence on Monday.
But before the march could get properly moving, the news came that Sheikh Hasina had left Bangladesh and resigned as prime minister. She is currently in Delhi.
