Dhaka: Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power on August 5 in the face of intense student and public protests. Then on August 8, Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus took oath as the chief adviser of the interim government.
He has now revealed about receiving the offer to become the chief adviser while he was in a hospital in the French capital, Paris, talking to student leaders protesting in Dhaka on the phone and his thoughts at that time, about 6 months after taking charge.
Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government, has spoken openly about what exactly happened before and after taking charge as the chief adviser.
The chief adviser recently visited Davos, Switzerland, on the occasion of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. At that time, he spoke in a podcast hosted by Gideon Rakhman, the chief foreign affairs commentator of the British newspaper Financial Times.
The conversation was published in written form on the podcast program called ‘Rakhman Review’ on Thursday (January 30).
In the conversation, Professor Yunus said, ‘When I first got the phone call, I was in a hospital in Paris. I had undergone a minor surgery. Then they (student leaders) called. Although I used to watch the news of what was happening in Bangladesh every day on my mobile phone. Then they said, “She (Sheikh Hasina) has left. Now we have to form a government. Please, form a government for us.” I said, no, I am not that person. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t even want to be associated with it.’
In response to the question of who contacted you, Professor Yunus said, ‘The students. I didn’t know any of them. I had never heard of them. So I was trying to convince them to find an alternative. I told them, there are many good leaders in Bangladesh. You should find them. They were saying, “No, no, no, you have to stay. We haven’t found anyone.” I said, try hard. They said, “We don’t have enough time.” Then I said, try at least for a day. If not, call me back after 24 hours.”
Professor Yunus said, “They (student leaders) called me again. They said, “We tried a lot. But it wasn’t possible. You must return home.” Finally, I said, “Look, you have given your lives on the streets. There has been a lot of bloodshed. You are on the front lines. Since you have been able to do all this, now, even if you don’t want to, I should also do something for you. And this is the time. The government needs to be reformed. I agree. Do you agree? They didn’t say anything else.”
While sharing his experience of that day, Professor Yunus said, “A couple of hours later, a nurse from the hospital came. She presented me with a bouquet of flowers. I said, why is this? Then the nurse said, “You are the ‘Prime Minister’ of Bangladesh, we didn’t know that.” I said, “How did you know this?” Then he said, “All the media, all the televisions are broadcasting the news, you are the ‘Prime Minister’ of Bangladesh.” I said, I learned this from you.”
Professor Yunus said, “A couple of hours later, the head of the hospital came with the board members. They congratulated me as the new ‘Prime Minister’ with a bouquet of flowers. They also said that I would not be allowed to leave the hospital before the afternoon.”
Professor Yunus said, “I told the director, they want me. They are asking me to go to the country. Can you prepare me for the trip? He said, “Of course, we have to obey you. You are a Prime Minister. We will make all kinds of preparations for your safe journey. We will provide everything including the necessary medicines. We will be in constant contact.””
A few hours later, a large group of French soldiers came in the morning to take me to the airport—that was what Professor Yunus was saying. He said, “These were the events before returning home. The entire nation was waiting for my return flight. I travelled on a commercial flight. By then they (student leaders) had already prepared the outline of the new government. I addressed the nation from the airport. I asked everyone to maintain patience, peace and unity. That was the beginning of the whole incident.