Muhammad Yunus has been named the head of Bangladesh 's interim government after prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following a student-led popular uprising. The 84-year-old microlending champion, who Ms Hasina considered one of her greatest rivals, has been handed the Herculean task of filling the power vacuum in Bangladesh, as the country of 170 million people struggles with unemployment and rising inflation . His name was proposed by student group leaders and accepted by president Mohammed Shahabuddin following deliberation with military chiefs, political parties, business leaders, and civil society members.
The anti-job reservation protests that culminated in the resignation of Ms Hasina saw at least 440 people killed in a three-way violence between the students , law enforcement officers, and the student wing of the ruling party, according to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo. "If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it,” Mr Yunus, who was in Paris at the time the mass protests engulfed the South Asian nation, told AFP. Mr Yunus called Ms Hasina’s resignation the country's "second liberation day".
Asif Mahmud, a key leader of the Students Against Discrimination group, wrote: “In Dr Yunus, we trust.” Mr Yunus, considered one of the fiercest critics of Ms Hasina, has been booked in more than 200 cases, including forgery, money laundering, and embezzlement during Ms Hasina’s 15-year-long administr.