Muhammad Yunus pledges to deliver a government which assures safety to citizens

Yunus, 84, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on microlending, was designated head of the interim government

PTI

Updated At : 03:12 PM Aug 08, 2024 IST

Bangladeshi Army officers stand guard at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 07 August 2024. PTI

Dhaka, August 8

Muhammad Yunus on Thursday promised to deliver a government which assures safety to its citizens, as the Nobel laureate returned to the protest-torn Bangladesh from Paris to take oath as the head of the interim government following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Yunus, 84, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on microlending, was designated head of the interim government after President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament on Tuesday after Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and fled the country following widespread protests against her regime.

Yunus was in Paris for the Olympic Games. He returned to the country via Dubai.

An Emirates flight (EK-582) carrying Yunus landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2.10 pm local time.

Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, senior officials, student leaders and civil society members welcomed him at the airport.

At an emotional press conference at the airport, Yunus expressed gratitude to the youth who made the protest movement against Hasina successful.

"We have got independence for the second time. We have to protect this independence," he said.

"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 have to form a government which assures safety to its citizens," he said.

He asked the citizens to save the country from chaos created during the protests.

"Bangladesh can be a very beautiful country and we can make it one," he said.

He also paid tribute to Abu Sayed, who was among the first killed in police firing during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

He will go directly to Bangabhaban, the Prime Minister's official residence.

This interim government will lead the country for a certain period and oversee the election to transition power to an elected government.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath of office to the new government.