Dr. Muhammad Yunus to lead interim government

It has been decided to form the next interim government of the country headed by Nobel laureate economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

The decision was made from a meeting of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the chiefs of the three services and the coordinators of the Student Against Discrimination at Bangabhaban Tuesday night.

President’s press secretary Joynal Abedin confirmed this information to Prothom Alo.

A 15-member team of the SAD coordinators, who led the job quota reform movement, went to Bangabhaban at 6:00 pm yesterday. The heads of the three forces entered Bangabhaban at around 7:30 pm.

After a long meeting among the president, the heads of the three forces and the coordinators of the student movement, it was decided to form an interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.

After the meeting, coordinator Nahid Islam came out of Bangabhaban at around 12:30 am and spoke to the newspersons on behalf of the SAD coordinators.

He said that they proposed the name of Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the head of the interim government and the president agreed to that.

Nahid further said that they had given a list with the names of 15 people on who to be the remaining members of the interim government. The list includes representatives of students and civil society members. It will be finalised by discussing this list with various political parties very soon.

He hoped that the interim government will be finalised within 24 hours or at the earliest.

Speaking to the media, Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul said, “We are going to form this government in an unusual situation. At this point there is scope to give it (the interim government) constitutional legitimacy in various ways. There are rules and that will be followed.”

He further said that the tenure of the interim government has not been decided yet.

Professor Tanzimuddin Khan of Dhaka University’s International Relations Department was also present at the meeting at Bangabhaban.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, student movement leaders through a video message proposed the name of Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the head of the interim government.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus could take charge as head of the interim government today, Wednesday, or Thursday, said government sources.

However, after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, there is virtually no government in the country for the last two days. As a result, an unstable environment is prevailing in the whole country, including Dhaka.

The agitating students and leaders of political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, were demanding the formation of an interim government in the shortest possible time to stabilise the situation.

According to the sources placed in various parties, including BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Ganatantra Mancha and other parties and alliances that held meetings with the president and chiefs of three services on Monday, there is a consensus regarding Dr. Yunus.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Prothom Alo Tuesday that the name of Dr. Muhammad Yunus came up for discussion as the students proposed his name.

Yunus Centre informed the media Tuesday that Muhammad Yunus will take charge of the interim government.

Speaking to BBC, Dr. Yunus said, “When the students who sacrificed so much are requesting me to step in at this difficult juncture, how can I refuse?”

Dr. Yunus is currently in Paris. He is likely to return to the country today or tomorrow. He can then take over as head of the interim government. However, it was not finalised whether he would take charge at the same time or later.

There are various speculations in the political arena and the people of the country about the number of members that would constitute the interim government. Various lists have also spread on social media. However, no truth was found.

Leaders of different parties say, since Dr. Muhammad Yunus will take over as the head of government, his opinions on who else will be in the government will be needed.

There is discussion that the coordinators of the quota reform movement also will have a special role. The opinions of the army will also be given importance.

Leaders of various political parties including BNP, Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan, and Ganatantra Mancha held two rounds of meetings with the president and the chiefs of three services on Monday.

Sources in the parties said the interim government could include professionals, university teachers, lawyers and civil society representatives, former military and civilian bureaucrats and businesspersons.

Neither the president nor the army chief have consulted with the Bangladesh Awami League and their allies about the interim government so far.

The caretaker government system was removed from the constitution in 2011.

Earlier, the person heading the interim government that used to oversee the parliamentary election, would sworn in as chief adviser and others as advisers. That framework may be followed this time too.

As the president dissolved parliament Tuesday, now there is no elected representative in the country. As a result, the new government that will be formed, including its head, will be unelected.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of prime minister and left the country. This ended her 15-and-a-half-year rule. She is currently in Delhi, India.