Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus takes oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim govt

DHAKA, August 08 (SABAH): Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government on Thursday.

Muhammad Yunus, 84, was recommended for the role by student protesters and returned to Dhaka earlier on Thursday from Paris, where he was undergoing medical treatment.

After landing in the country, Yunus paid tribute to those killed in Bangladesh’s deadly protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s government, saying their sacrifices had brought the nation a “second independence”.

“Today is a glorious day for us,” he told reporters at the airport in Dhaka shortly after returning to the country to lead a caretaker government. “Bangladesh has created a new victory day. Bangladesh has got a second independence.”

Muhammad 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.