Prof Yunus returns home amid warm welcome to lead interim govt

Stuff Correspondent: Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, a longtime political opponent of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, arrived in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon to lead an interim government, scheduled to take oath at 8pm today.

An Emirates flight (EK-582) carrying Dr Yunus landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:10pm local time today.

Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan welcomed Prof Yunus upon his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Dr Asif Nazrul, student representatives, Yunus Centre executive director Lamiya Morshed, among others, were seen at the airport.

Before leaving Paris, where he had been attending the Olympics, Prof Yunus appealed for calm in Bangladesh amid tensions over the country’s future.

Yunus was named as interim leader following talks among military officials, civic leaders and the student activists who led the uprising against Hasina.

He made his first public comments in the French capital on Wednesday before boarding a plane to return home.

He is due to be sworn in on Thursday night by President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

Yunus congratulated the student protesters, saying they had made “our second Victory Day possible,” and he appealed to them and other stakeholders to remain peaceful, while condemning the violence that followed Hasina’s resignation Monday.

“Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country,” Yunus said.

The Nobel laureate known as the “banker to the poor” urged the people of the country to get ready to build the country, shunning any violence which he considers as an enemy.

“This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations,” he said in a statement on Wednesday, a day before his arrival in Dhaka.

Prof Yunus, who is now 84-year-old, congratulated the brave students who took the lead in making their “Second Victory Day” possible and to the people for giving their total support to them.

Social entrepreneur and banker, who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, said their youth is ready to give this leadership in creating a new world.

“Let us not miss the chance by going into any senseless violence. Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country,” he said.