Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has been sworn into office as the head of the new interim government in Bangladesh, vowing to lead the country back to democracy after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Yunus, who earlier in the day (Thursday) had hailed the overthrow of Hasina as Bangladesh’s “second independence”, swore to “uphold, support and protect the constitution”, in front of political and civil society leaders, generals, and diplomats at the presidential palace.
“Today is a glorious day for us,” Yunus, 84, told reporters hours earlier when he returned to Dhaka from Europe.
“Bangladesh has created a new victory day. Bangladesh has got a second independence.”
Yunus called for the restoration of order after weeks of violence that left at least 455 people dead, calling on citizens to guard each other, including minorities who came under attack.
“Law and order is our first task. We cannot take a step forward unless we fix the law and order situation,” he said.
“My call to the people is if you have trust in me, then make sure there will be no attacks against anyone, anywhere in the country. Every person is our brother. Our task is to protect them,” Yunus said, adding that “the whole of Bangladesh is one big family,” Yunus added.
More than a dozen members of his cabinet, who are titled advisers, not ministers, also took the oath.
They included top leaders of the Students Against Discrimination group that led the weeks-long protests, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud.
Others included a former foreign secretary and a former attorney general, an environmental lawyer, and prominent rights activist Adilur Rahman Khan who was sentenced to two years in jail during Hasina’s rule.
Hasina, accused of widespread human rights abuses including the jailing of political opponents, was forced to flee to neighboring India on Monday as masses of protesters flooded Dhaka’s streets.
The military then agreed to student demands that Yunus — who won the Nobel in 2006 for his pioneering microfinancing work — lead an interim government.
Yunus choked with emotion on Thursday as he recalled the killing of student activist Abu Sayeed, shot dead in July by police from close range.
He paid tribute to the youth who sparked the protest movement and those who risked all for their desire for change.
“They protected the nation and gave it a new life”, he said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Yunus and expressed hopes for deeper ties with the nation that separated from Pakistan in 1971.
“Heartiest felicitations to Professor Muhammad Yunus,” Sharif tweeted.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his “best wishes” to Yunus on Thursday, saying New Delhi was “committed” to working with neighboring Dhaka.
