Yunus describes Hasina’s ouster as B’desh’s ‘second independence’

Dhaka: Muhammad Yunus Thursday promised to deliver a government which assures safety to its citizens and urged them to assist him in rebuilding the protest-torn Bangladesh, as the Nobel laureate described the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as the country’s “second independence”.

Yunus, 84, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work on microlending, was appointed by President Mohammed Shahabuddin as the head of the interim government after

Prime Minister Hasina resigned and fled to India following widespread protests against her regime over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Yunus, who was in Paris for the Olympic Games, returned to the country via Dubai on Thursday on an Emirates flight. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, senior officials, student leaders and civil society members welcomed him at the airport.

At an emotional press conference at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after his arrival, Yunus described the change of

regime in Bangladesh as the “second independence”.

“Today is a day of our pride,” he said. “We have got independence for the second time. We have to protect this independence.”

He expressed gratitude to the youth who made the protest movement against Hasina successful and said he would like to stress first is to “save the country from violence so that we can move forward on the path that the students have shown us.”

He urged people from all walks of life to listen to him and said he agreed to take charge of the interim administration responding to the call of the students and youths.

“If you have faith in me and trust me, then ensure that there will be no attack anywhere in the country. This is our first responsibility,” he said at the crowded press briefing. “If I can’t do it and you do not listen to me, I don’t have any utility here.”

He termed the anarchic activities and attacks on minority communities as “part of a conspiracy”.