Muhammad Yunus takes oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government

Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee to neighbouring India, Report informs via Al Jazeera.

Yunus, 84, took oath during a ceremony at the presidential palace in capital Dhaka on Thursday night, attended by political leaders, civil society leaders, generals and diplomats.

“I will uphold, support and protect the constitution,” Yunus said as he was administered the oath by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, adding that he will perform his duties “sincerely”.

More than a dozen members of his cabinet, who are titled advisers, not ministers, also took the oath, as the caretaker government now seeks to restore peace and prepare for new elections.

They included top leaders of the Students Against Discrimination group that led the weeks-long protests, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud.

Others included Touhid Hossain, a former foreign secretary, and Hassan Ariff, a former attorney general. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an award-winning environmental lawyer, and Asif Nazrul, a top law professor and writer, were also sworn in.

Adilur Rahman Khan, a prominent human rights activist who was sentenced to two years in jail by Hasina’s government, also took the oath as an adviser.