The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus was sworn on Thursday night, just four days after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and departed the country amidst a student-led mass uprising.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to the 84-year-old Nobel laureate and pioneer of microcredit, along with 13 advisers, at the Bangabhaban Darbar Hall around 9:30pm.
The ceremony was conducted by Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain. Due to their absence from the capital, three advisers were unable to take the oath during the ceremony.
Earlier in the day, Yunus arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Paris, where he was received by Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman and student organizers.
Yunus addressed the student leaders and civil society members briefly at the airport.
In 1996, Yunus had previously served as an adviser to an interim government, turning down an offer to lead a caretaker administration.
It remains unclear how long the current interim government will remain in power; the Daily Star’s inquiries to four advisers last night yielded no definitive answers.
With the police force largely absent due to numerous attacks, the law and order situation has deteriorated across the country.
Students and volunteers have taken on the task of managing traffic on the streets. Political analysts emphasize that the Yunus-led government must act swiftly to ensure public safety, restore order, and stabilize the civil administration.
Yunus, a 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, faced significant criticism from Hasina and the Awami League during her tenure.
Hasina accused Yunus of sabotaging World Bank funding for the Padma Bridge and he faced several lawsuits, which many viewed as attempts to harass him.
Recently, Yunus was acquitted of labor law violations by a Dhaka tribunal.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by nearly 700 guests, including BNP leaders, representatives from the recently banned Jamaat, chiefs of the armed forces, journalists, and high-ranking civil and military officials.
Notably absent were the chief justice, election commissioners, and Awami League leaders.
The new advisers include Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, key organizers of the student movement that led to the previous government’s fall.
At just 26, Nahid and Asif are the youngest individuals ever to hold ministerial status in Bangladesh.
Other advisers are Salehuddin Ahmed, former Bangladesh Bank governor; Asif Nazrul, law professor at Dhaka University; Adilur Rahman, secretary of the rights organization Odhikar; Hassan Ariff, former attorney general; Touhid Hossain, former foreign secretary; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of BELA; and Sharmeen Murshid, CEO of the election watchdog Brotee.
Additional advisers include Faruk-e-Azam, a freedom fighter; Brig. Gen. (retd) Sakhawat Hossain, former election commissioner; Supradip Chakma, chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board and former ambassador; Bidhan Ranjan Roy, psychiatrist; AFM Khalid Hossain, nayeb-e-ameer of Hefazat-e-Islam and adviser to Islami Andolan Bangladesh; Farida Akhter, women’s rights activist; and Nurjahan Begum, trustee board member of Grameen Telecom.