DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s next leader Mohammed Yunus returned from a foreign trip on Thursday and will take up his new post later in the day as he seeks to restore calm and rebuild the country after an uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly autocratic 15-year rule.
Yunus landed at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday afternoon and was welcomed by the country’s military chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who was flanked by the navy and air force chiefs.
Some of the student leaders who led the uprising against Hasina were also present at the airport to welcome her. They had earlier proposed Yunus as interim leader to the president, who currently serves as the chief executive under the constitution.
In his first comments after his arrival, he told a news briefing that his priority would be to restore order.
“Bangladesh is a family. We need to unify it,” Yunus said, surrounded by student leaders. “This has immense possibilities.”
He urged everyone to stop the violence and promised not to resort to any repressive measures against anyone.
Security measures have been tightened at the airport to ensure Yunus’ safe arrival, as the country has been in turmoil for days following Hasina’s ouster on Monday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will conduct the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday evening, during which Yunus is expected to announce his new cabinet.
Before leaving Paris, where he was attending the Olympic Games, Yunus called for calm in Bangladesh amid tensions over the country’s future.
Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who serves as his mother’s adviser, vowed Wednesday that his family and the Awami League party would remain engaged in Bangladeshi politics – a reversal from what he said earlier in the week after Hasina resigned on Monday and fled to India.
Yunuswas appointed interim leader After talks between military officials, civil society leaders and student activists who led the uprising against Hasina, Yunus made his first public comments in the French capital on Wednesday before flying home.
Yunus congratulated the student protesters, saying they had made “our second Victory Day possible”, and called on them and other stakeholders to remain peaceful, while condemning the violence that followed Hasina’s resignation.
“Violence is our enemy. Please do not create more enemies. Stay calm and get ready to build the country,” Yunus said.
Bangladesh army chief Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman said in a televised speech on Wednesday that he expected Yunus to usher in a “beautiful democratic process.”
Yunus, who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work developing microcredit markets, told reporters in Paris: “I’m looking forward to going home and seeing what’s happening there, and how we can organize ourselves to get out of the mess we’re in.”
Asked when the elections would be, he raised his hands as if to indicate it was too early to say.
“I’m going to go talk to them. I’m new to this,” he said.
A Dhaka court acquitted Yunus on Wednesday a case of violation of labor law He was convicted of a crime involving a telecommunications company he founded and sentenced to six months in prison. He had been released on bail in that case.
The president dissolved parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for a caretaker administration that is expected to hold new elections.
Yunus is a longtime opponent of Hasina, who had called him a “bloodsucker” for allegedly using force to extract loan repayments from the rural poor, mainly women. Yunus has denied the accusations.
Since July 15, more than 300 people have died in violence in Bangladesh. Rising tensions in the days following Hasina’s resignation have created chaos, with police officers walking off duty after being attacked. Dozens of police officers have been killed, prompting police to stop operations across the country. They have threatened not to return unless their safety is guaranteed. Looting of firearms has also been reported in local media.
The chaos began in July with protests against a quota system for government jobs that critics said favored people with ties to Hasina’s party. But the demonstrations quickly spiraled into a A broader challenge to Hasina’s 15-year rulewhich has been marked by human rights abuses, corruption, allegations of rigged elections and a brutal crackdown on opponents.
Hasina’s son Joy said on social media on Wednesday that his family would return to politics and would not give up after the attacks on Awami League party leaders and members. Many see Joy as Hasina’s successor in a dynastic political culture which dominates the politics of the South Asian nation.
On Monday, Joy had said Hasina would not return to politics after her resignation. But in a video message posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, he urged party activists to mobilise.
“You are not alone. We are here. Bangabandhu’s family has not left,” he said.
Hasina’s father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is affectionately known in Bangladesh as Bangabandhu, meaning “friend of Bengal”.
“If we want to build a new Bangladesh, it will not be possible without the Awami League,” he said.
“Awami League is the oldest, most democratic and largest party in Bangladesh,” Joy added. “Awami League is not dead… It is not possible to eliminate it. We had said that our family would not engage in politics anymore. However, given the attacks on our leaders and activists, we cannot give up.”
On Thursday night, Dhaka residents carried sticks, iron bars and sharp weapons to protect their neighbourhoods as robberies were reported. Communities used loudspeakers in mosques to alert people that robberies were underway, with police not on duty. The military shared hotline numbers for people seeking help.
The snap decision to pick Yunus came as Hasina’s resignation created a power vacuum and left the future uncertain for Bangladesh, which has a history of military rule, messy politics and myriad crises.
Many fear that Hasina The departure could trigger even more instability in a densely populated nation of some 170 million people that already faces high unemployment, corruption and a complex strategic relationship with India, China and the United States.
Hasina, 76, was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January in a vote boycotted by her main opponents. Thousands of opposition members were jailed ahead of the vote, and the United States and Britain denounced the result as implausible.
