Dhaka:

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus returned to Bangladesh Thursday to lead a caretaker government after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina.

Yunus touched down in Dhaka on a flight from Paris via Dubai shortly after 2:00 pm (0800 GMT) and could be sworn in as the country’s new leader as soon as Thursday evening to begin what the army chief has vowed will be a “beautiful democratic process”.

The prospect of Yunus, 84, standing alongside military leaders was almost unimaginable a week ago when security forces fired deadly rounds at protesters who took to the streets demanding that Hasina resign.

But the military turned on Hasina at the weekend and she was forced to flee to neighbouring India — as millions of Bangladeshis celebrated her demise.

The military then agreed to student demands that Yunus — who won the Nobel in 2006 for his pioneering microfinancing work — lead an interim government.

“I’m looking forward to going back home, see what’s happening and how we can organise ourselves to get out of the trouble we are in,” Yunus told reporters in Paris as he left for Dhaka.

‘Get ready’

The veteran academic had travelled abroad this year while on bail after being sentenced to six months in jail on a charge condemned as politically motivated, and which a Dhaka court on Wednesday acquitted him of.

Yunus was hit with more than 100 criminal cases and a smear campaign by a state-led Islamic agency that accused him of promoting homosexuality, with courts accused of rubber-stamping decisions by ousted Hasina’s government.

Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said he backed Yunus and hoped he would be sworn in to lead the interim government on Thursday evening.

“I am certain that he will be able to take us through a beautiful democratic process,” Waker said.

Yunus said he wanted to hold elections “within a few” months.

‘Seismic moment’

Few other details about the planned government have been released, including the role of the military.

But Bangladeshis voiced hope as they joined a rally in Dhaka on Wednesday for the former opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP).

“I expect that a national government will be formed with everyone’s consent in a beautiful way,” Moynul Islam Pintu told AFP.

“I expect that the country is run in a nice way, and the police force is reformed so that they can’t harass people.”

Hasina, 76, who had been in power since 2009, quit on Monday as hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Dhaka.

Jubilant crowds later looted her palace.

Monday’s events were the culmination of more than a month of unrest, which began as protests against a plan for quotas in government jobs but morphed into an anti-Hasina movement.

Hasina, who was accused of rigging the January elections and widespread human rights abuses, deployed security forces to quash the protests.

At least 455 people were killed in the unrest, according to an AFP tally based on police, government officials and hospital doctors.

“The protests are a seismic moment in Bangladesh history,” said International Crisis Group analyst Thomas Kean.

“The country really had been at risk of becoming a one-party state, and through a peaceful street-based movement led by, Gen Z students in their 20s, they’ve managed to force her from power.”

Military move

The military’s switching of allegiance was the decisive factor in her demise.

It has since acceded to a range of other demands from the student leaders.

The president dissolved parliament on Tuesday, a key demand of the students and the BNP.

The head of the police force, which protesters have blamed for leading Hasina’s crackdown, was sacked on Tuesday.

The new chief, Mainul Islam, offered an apology on Wednesday for the conduct of officers and vowed a “fair and impartial investigation” into the killings of “students, common people and the police”.

Ex-prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, 78, was also released from years of house arrest, while some political prisoners were freed.

The military has demoted some generals seen as close to Hasina and sacked Ziaul Ahsan, a commander of the feared Rapid Action Battalion paramilitary force.

Police said mobs had launched revenge attacks on officers and Hasina’s allies, and also freed more than 500 inmates from a prison.

Protesters broke into parliament and torched TV stations. Others smashed statues of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence hero.

Since Tuesday, however, streets in the capital have been largely peaceful.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bangladeshi Army officers stand guard at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Several residents across Bangladesh spent a sleepless night as they gathered in groups to guard the streets amid fears of robbery and looting by criminals in the violence-hit country, where an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is all set to take oath on Thursday (August 8, 2024).

Also read: BSF stops entry of 120 people from Bangladesh

Security concerns have gripped the country since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on Monday as police observed a work abstention, citing fears for their safety amid reports of deadly attacks on security personnel.

Follow Bangladesh crisis LIVE Updates here

The Yunus-led interim government – appointed by President Mohammed Shahabuddin who had dissolved the parliament – is set to take oath in the evening after weeks of tumultuous student protests that forced Hasina to resign and flee the country.

The chaos and fear created by the deadly protests remained. Gangs of criminals have been looting and robbing homes in the absence of law enforcers over the last two days.

Many residents spent a sleepless night on Wednesday amid fears of robbery and looting. From one end of Dhaka to another, particularly Uttara to Mohammadpur, people were concerned about their safety.

Facebook users were posting in different groups and streaming live. Residents in many areas, including in Uttara and Mohammadpur, formed neighbourhood watch groups to stand guard, bdnews24.com news portal reported.

Nazvi Islam, a part-time teacher at Dhaka University and resident of Mohammadpur’s Bosila, said that robbers had terrorised the area on Tuesday night. Mosques were regularly making announcements, asking everyone to remain on alert.

On Wednesday night, residents gathered in groups to guard the streets with sticks and bats. Hundreds of students from the local madrasa also came to guard the area. After standing watch all night, they returned home in the morning. The students divided themselves into small groups and guarded the government buildings and public properties.

Zakirul Islam, a resident of Chanmia Housing in Mohammadpur, said guards were posted at the gates to the housing area on Wednesday night, but residents still could not sleep due to fear.

Abir Hossain, a resident of Mirpur-14, where many government officials live, says that everyone panicked when news spread that robbers had entered their housing complex.

“Last night, a group of people carrying local weapons came and attacked a neighbouring house. They forcefully opened the main gate and looted cash and jewellery,” The Daily Star newspaper quoted a resident of the Naboday Housing area as saying.

Many Facebook users posted or live-streamed videos of robbers attacking a building in the ECB Chattar area adjacent to the Mirpur cantonment. Sounds of Army patron sirens could be heard in the videos.

People posted on Facebook about the attacks and robberies throughout the night. Many have questioned where so many robbers had sprung up from.

Most ATMs were out of cash and even many bank branches were running low on cash as the money supply had been disrupted due to inadequate security, The Daily Star reported, citing bankers.

“Overall, I visited almost 10 booths but failed to withdraw a single penny. Either they had run out of money or restricted the use of ATM cards issued by other banks,” Nasir Hossain, a resident of the capital’s Dhanmondi area, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Managing Director of Pubali Bank Mohammad Ali said although there is no cash crisis in the banking sector, they have been unable to deliver money to booths and branches as security companies that transport money have halted services.

“The security agencies that carry our cash told us that they will not provide services in the current situation,” he said.

Hence, banks are struggling to supply money, especially to remote branches and booths, he added.

Meanwhile, political parties in the country discussed the structure of the interim Cabinet.

The anti-discrimination student movement has reportedly prepared a list of 15 names in the interim government. The list will be finalised after discussions with Yunus after he returns home on Thursday. According to multiple sources in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the leaders of the student movement met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday and discussed the list.

The anti-discrimination student movement has formed a liaison committee to discuss the list with various parties.

Dhaka:

 Nobel Laureate economist Muhammad Yunus is expected to return to Bangladesh on Thursday, Bangladesh-based Dhaka Tribune reported.

Yunus will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 2.10 pm, subject to the flight being on time, Dhaka Tribune reported, quoting a statement from Yunus Centre.

Yunus’ return comes as he is set to take on a significant role as head of the interim government, following a meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said that the oath-taking ceremony for Yunus, proposed as head of the interim government during a meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, will take place the following day, Dhaka Tribune reported.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Yunus Centre congratulated the students who played a key role in achieving the Second Victory Day and urged the public to avoid violence.

“I congratulate the brave students who took the lead in making our Second Victory Day possible and to the people for giving your total support to them. Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes. I fervently appeal to everybody to stay calm. Please refrain from all kinds of violence. I appeal to all students, members of all political parties and non-political people to stay calm,” the statement read.

The statement highlighted the country’s potential and urged the population to focus on building a better future. “This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations,” Yunus Centre added in its statement.

Yunus Centre further said that violence is their enemy.

“Our youth is ready to give this leadership in creating a new world. Let us not miss the chance by going into any senseless violence. Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country. If we take the path of violence everything will be destroyed. Please stay calm. Help those around you to stay calm,” it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)