DHAKA: Full of jubilation and hope, Bangladeshis on Friday welcomed their new interim government led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus and comprising renowned lawyers, academics and leaders of the student movement that overthrew the previous regime.
The new government took the oath of office at the presidential palace in Dhaka on Thursday evening, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and fled to neighboring India following weeks of nationwide demonstrations and a deadly crackdown on protesters.
“The brutal, autocratic regime is gone,” Yunus said in a televised address after being sworn in by President Mohammed Shahabuddin along with more than a dozen members of his interim government.
He promised that “all people will enjoy democracy, justice, human rights and full freedom of fearless expression, regardless of party affiliation.”
The 84-year-old economics professor will lead the country as “chief adviser” and the titles of his cabinet members will also be “advisers” and not “ministers.”
They include Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, leaders of Students Against Discrimination, a group that led the protests that led to Hasina's ouster, as well as civil servants such as former attorney general AF Hassan Ariff, former foreign minister Touhid Hossain and Salehuddin Ahmed, an economist and former governor of the country's central bank.
Also present are Adilur Rahman Khan, a well-known human rights activist, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an internationally award-winning environmental lawyer, and Asif Nazrul, a well-known intellectual, writer and law professor at the University of Dhaka.
When the new government took office, Bangladeshis were excited by the nominations and hopeful about their country's future.
“This is a new dynamic after our total anarchy and a very serious uprising that we experienced just recently,” Gautam Barua, an academic and researcher, told Arab News.
“I am very confident about this transitional government. I believe it will bring about wonderful changes.”
He expressed his delight that well-known lawyers and economists would take the helm.
“I think this cabinet is made up of the best in the country… They are recognized globally and they are recognized domestically and nationally,” Barua said.
“The current economy of the country needs a boost… It declined quite drastically under the last administration. So I believe they can turn things around. They can get the wheel of the economy moving again.”
People were also proud to have a government full of prominent intellectuals and technocrats.
“I think they can bring us a positive change,” said Mahfuz Kaiser, a student in Dhaka. “Dr. Yunus is a very famous person. He is a Nobel Prize winner. The first Nobel Prize winner in Bangladesh.”
Yunus is an economics professor, social entrepreneur and banker. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work in the field of microfinance, which contributed to poverty alleviation in Bangladesh and has gained widespread acceptance worldwide.
“He will help us rebuild this nation,” said Jannatul Ferdous Mawa, who is pursuing a degree in media studies and has taken part in the recent protests.
“I think whatever is happening right now is good for us because we are learning something. We have learned one thing from this protest: If we stick together, we can rebuild this nation.”
The political change in Bangladesh, ending Hasina's 15-year rule, came after nationwide protests that began in early July against a quota system for government jobs that was widely criticized for favoring people with ties to the ruling party.
The demonstrations soon turned violent as clashes broke out between security forces and protesters, leaving at least 300 people dead.
After the deadly clashes and a week-long blackout of communications, the Supreme Court eventually lifted most of the quotas, but the ruling was followed by a tougher crackdown on the protesters.
The arrest of 11,000 rallies participants, mostly students, sparked new demonstrations last week, culminating in a civil disobedience movement that forced Hasina to resign on Monday.
One day later, the president dissolved parliament and paved the way for the transitional government, which will now hold new elections.
“There are high expectations from this government because it is led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Yunus. I think everyone is looking forward to his work, his progress, his vision. He always said there are three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions. So I think he will work on these three issues,” Dr. Rawnak Khan, who teaches anthropology at Dhaka University, told Arab News.
“Our institutional infrastructure, the whole situation – we have to build it. The government has to ensure transparency and accountability. I have very high expectations from this government. Not just me, I think everyone else, because it is led by Prof. Yunus and it depends on his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of Bangladesh.”
