A key organizer of Bangladesh’s student protests Tuesday called for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to head an interim government, a day after longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following weeks of deadly unrest.
Hasina resigned and fled the country by helicopter as protesters defied military curfew orders to march on the capital, before thousands of demonstrators stormed her official residence and other buildings associated with her party and family.
Her depature came after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs descended into deadly violence, fuelling a broader challenge to her 15-year rule. The government attempted to quell demonstrations by shutting schools, imposing curfews and sending in troops to shoot tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, leading to some 300 deaths, but those heavy-handed tactics only drove further discontent.
Bangladesh’s figurehead president and its top military commander said late Monday that an interim government would be formed soon to preside over new elections.
Yunus, who is in Paris according to Indian media, told student leaders he would be willing to serve, considering the present situation of the country, organizer Nahid Islam said in a video posted to social media.
