Muhammad Yunus seemed to be holding back tears. On his arrival in Dhaka, shortly after 2 pm on Thursday, August 8, surrounded by students and supporters, the 84-year-old economist and head of the interim government spoke of a "glorious day." Barely 72 hours earlier, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina had fled the country under pressure from the crowds on the street, after 15 years of a reign that had become increasingly autocratic. "Bangladesh has got a second independence," declared the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, thereby, like many of his compatriots, comparing the hated leader's departure to the war of liberation waged against Pakistan in 1971.
Yunus, who had flown in from Paris, was sworn in later that evening at the Bangabhaban, the official residence of the Bangladeshi president. As "chief adviser" to the caretaker government – the official title, as he is in an interim position – he has been tasked with leading a democratic process aimed at elections. "I will uphold, support and protect the Constitution," he solemnly declared, adding that he would carry out his duties "with sincerity."
Some Bangladeshis had gathered in front of their televisions to follow the ceremony broadcast live, others had their eyes glued to their phone screens. "This is a very good thing, Sheikh Hasina was a bad leader for the country and Muhammad Yunus has done a lot for the poor," rejoiced Tonmoy (who did not give his last name), a 26-year-old Bangladeshi man, in Dhaka. "We extend our heartiest welcome to the interim government that begins its journey during an extraordinary time in our history," wrote the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, in its editorial on Friday.
The presence of Yunus at the head of the government has been greeted with optimism. It raises hopes in a country battered by the brutal repression of student protests. More than 400 people have died since July 1 during the movement that led to Hasina's downfall on Monday. Fueled by a thirst for revenge, the violence continued after the ousted prime minister left office, targeting members of her Awami League party in particular. Businesses and homes belonging to the country's Hindu minority population, which some have considered to be close to Hasina, were also attacked, in this Muslim-majority country.
"If you trust me, please make sure that there is no attack on anyone, anywhere in the country," Yunus said, asserting that his priority would be to restore law and order. He had already promised on Wednesday, in an opinion piece published in the British magazine The Economist, that he would do everything to ensure that "a free and fair election is held in within a few months," and that young people should not be "obsessed with settling scores, as too many of our previous governments were."
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