Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus said Tuesday he was ready to lead an interim government in Bangladesh after the dissolution of parliament, meeting the demands of students who led the movement that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee after a bloody crackdown.
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” I am touched by the confidence of the protesters who wish me to lead the interim government. “, Muhammad Yunus told AFP. I have always kept politics at a distance (…) But today, if it is necessary to act in Bangladesh, for my country, and for the courage of my people, then I will do it. ” he wrote, while calling for the organization of “ free elections “.
The 84-year-old economist is known for lifting millions out of poverty through his pioneering microfinance bank. He had drawn the lingering enmity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who accused him of “ suck blood ” poor.
With this statement made to AFP, Muhammad Yunus confirms the comments published on August 5 in the French daily Le Figaroto whom he had confided: “ If circumstances require it, I can lead the government. » « The interim government is just the beginning “, continues the Nobel Peace Prize winner in his written statement to AFP. ” Final appeasement will only come with free elections. Without elections, there will be no change. “, he believes. The coming days are crucial for the future of our country. Every decision taken will be decisive “, he warns.
A dissolved parliament and elections in the coming months
Muhammad Yunus also welcomed the ” courage “young protesters who forced the Prime Minister to resign.” They made Bangladesh proud and showed the world our nation’s resolve in the face of injustice. “, he judges.
The main leader of the student movement behind the protests that began in early July said on Tuesday that he wanted Muhammad Yunus to lead the interim government, while the president announced the same day the dissolution of parliament, demanded by the protesters and the country’s main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The latter are demanding elections within three months.
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Main police union asks for ‘forgiveness’
The main police union in Bangladesh asked ” pardon ” for shooting students, in a statement also released Tuesday. The union said the police officers had been ” forced to open fire » then presented as the « bad guys ” He also announced a strike to ensure the safety of the police.
Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman had announced on Monday that an interim government would soon be formed. He had promised to repair ” all injustices ” and to lift the curfew from Tuesday.
Protests against a system of hiring quotas in the administration have left more than 400 dead since the beginning of July across the country. They finally resulted on Monday in the departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76, forced to flee aboard a helicopter.
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