‘We Were Occupied...’: Nobel Winner Yunus Responds to Sheikh Hasina’s Resignation, Open To Leading Interim Government

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Bangladesh Interim Government: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus referred to Bangladesh as a ‘free country’ following Sheikh Hasina's resignation after she fled from the country. Muhammad Yunus has agreed to a proposal from the protest movement's coordinators to become the chief advisor of the soon-to-be-formed interim government, as per The Daily Star. A long and weeks of intense and violent anti-quota protests ultimately called for her to step down as prime minister on Monday. 

“We were an occupied country as long as she (Sheikh Hasina) was there. She was behaving like an occupation force, a dictator, a general, controlling everything. Today all the people of Bangladesh feel liberated,” Yunus told ThePrint in an interview. 

Muhammad Yunus, who faces over 190 charges filed by the Awami League government, has accused the departing Sheikh Hasina of tarnishing the legacy of her father, ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. Known for his contributions to microfinance that have uplifted millions from poverty, Yunus was once considered a potential rival to Hasina for the prime minister’s position. 

The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Muhammad Yunus, was convicted of embezzling $2 million (over 16 crore rupees) from the workers' welfare fund of Grameen Telecom, one of the companies he established. 

Yunus claimed that the violence and vandalism by protesters reflect their anger towards Sheikh Hasina and the damage she has caused. He expressed optimism that these same students and young people will guide Bangladesh in a positive direction in the future.