Oath-taking Ceremony of Interim Government in Bangladesh
Following the violent anti-government protests in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid left the country and an oath-taking ceremony was held for the interim government. At the ceremony, Muhammad Yunus, who was appointed as the chief advisor, officially took the oath of office as the head of the interim government. The ceremony was attended by foreign diplomats, representatives of civil society organizations and business people, but no representatives of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party were present.
Who is Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus?
Long seen as a rival by Sheikh Hasina, 84-year-old Mohammed Yunus has been called the “banker of the poor.” Yunus, who faces a number of financial charges in Bangladesh, has been targeted due to claims that he has been a target due to his cold relationship with Hasina. Many prominent figures, including former US President Barack Obama and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have written to Sheikh Hasina to suspend Yunus’ legal proceedings. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his Grameen Bank and pioneering work in social entrepreneurship.
Reasons Behind the Protests
In Bangladesh, large protests began in July following a decision to allocate public sector quotas to children of those who served in the 1971 War of Independence. These student-led demonstrations were announced to have ended when the Supreme Court reduced the quota rates at the end of July. However, after the Jamaat-e-Islami Party and its student wing, which were held responsible for the violence in the demonstrations, were banned, prosecutors took to the streets again to demand “justice” for those who lost their lives during the demonstrations.
Results of the demonstrations
In these protests in Bangladesh, hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands were detained. As the violence increased, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left her official residence and went to India by military helicopter. In the meantime, politicians raided Hasina’s official residence. After meetings with political party representatives, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that Hasina had resigned and an interim government would be formed.
