DHAKA: Jubilant and hopeful, Bangladeshis on Friday welcomed a new government led by Nobel-winning economist Muhammad Yunus and led by prominent lawyers, academics and student movement leaders.
The new administration was sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Dhaka on Thursday night, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and fled to neighboring India following weeks of nationwide protests and a deadly crackdown on protesters.
“The brutal, autocratic regime has ended,” Yunus said in a televised address after President Mohammad Shahabuddin was sworn in with more than a dozen members of his caretaker government.
He expressed his commitment to enjoy democracy, justice, human rights and complete freedom of fearless expression without party affiliation.
The 84-year-old professor of economics will lead the country not as a minister but also as a 'chief advisor' and his cabinet member as an advisor.
They include Naheed Islam and Asif Mahmud, top leaders of Students Against Discrimination, the group that led the movement that ousted Hasina, and civil servants such as former Attorney General AF Hasan Arif, former Foreign Secretary Tawhid Hussain, and Salehuddin Ahmed – economists and A. Former Governor of the Central Bank of the country.
There are also prominent human rights activist Adilur Rehman Khan, international award-winning environmental lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Dhaka University public intellectual, author and law professor Asif Nazrul.
As the new administration took office, Bangladeshis were enthusiastic about the nominations and optimistic about the future of their country.
“After our complete chaos and a very serious uprising that we experienced recently, this is a new dynamic,” Gautam Barua, an academic and researcher, told Arab News.
“I'm very optimistic about this interim government, very, very optimistic … I think it's going to make a beautiful change.”
He was delighted to see that famous lawyers and economists would be at the helm.
“I think, this cabinet has the best fines in the country … they are recognized globally, and they are recognized internally, nationally,” Barua said.
“The current economy of the country needs a step up…it has gone down a lot under the last government. So, I believe they can catch it. They can turn the wheel of the economy.”
It was also proud to have a government full of celebrity intellectuals and technocrats.
“I think they can bring us positive change,” said Mahfuz Qaiser, a student from Dhaka. “Dr. Yunus is a very famous person. He is a Nobel laureate. First Nobel laureate in Bangladesh.
A professor of economics, Yunus is a social entrepreneur and banker who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering microfinance work to help alleviate poverty in Bangladesh and is widely adopted around the world.
“He will help us build this nation again,” said Jannatul Firdous Mawa, who is pursuing a master's degree in media studies and participated in the recent protests.
“I think what's happening now is good for us because we're learning something. One thing we've learned from this protest is that if we come together, we can build this nation back up.
The political transition in Bangladesh, ending Hasina's 15-year rule, comes after nationwide protests began in early July against a quota system for government jobs, which was widely criticized for favoring those with ties to the ruling party.
The demonstrations quickly turned violent as security forces clashed with protesters, killing at least 300 people.
After deadly clashes and a week-long communications blackout, the Supreme Court eventually overturned most of the quotas, but the decision was followed by a crackdown on protesters.
The arrest of 11,000 rally participants, most of them students, sparked new protests last week, which turned into a civil disobedience movement that forced Hasina to resign on Monday.
A day later, the president dissolved parliament, clearing the way for an interim administration, which will now preside over new elections.
“There are a lot of expectations from this government because it is led by Nobel laureate Prof Dr Yunus. I think everyone is looking forward to his work, to his progress, to his vision. He used to say the three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon. So, I think he works on these three subjects,” Dr Raunak Khan, who teaches anthropology at Dhaka University, told Arab News.
“Our institutional infrastructure, the overall situation—we have to build it. It is necessary for the government to ensure transparency and accountability. I have high expectations from this government. Not just mine; I think that because of everyone this Prof. Yunus is at the helm and it depends on his ability to navigate Bangladesh's complex political landscape.
