A day ahead of the formation of a new government, led by Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the country's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, announced his resignation on Monday.
Yunus was the Chief Advisor of the interim government, formed after the protests and subsequent exit of former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, in August of 2024.
The interim leader made the announcement of his stepping down in a farewell broadcast to the nation, before he handed the office over to freshly elected government.
“Today, the interim government is stepping down,” he said in the farewell broadcast, “But let the practice of democracy, freedom of speech, and fundamental rights that has begun not be halted.”
Reminiscing about the events of August 2024, Yunus, in his address, said that the day (when Hasina was ousted) was a “day of great liberation.”
“What a day of joy it was! Bangladeshis across the world shed tears of happiness. The youth of our country freed it from the grip of a demon,” he said, adding that Bangladesh was no longer a “submissive country” and that its relations with countries will be based on mutual respect and national interest.
A Nobel Laureate, Yunus, had returned to Bangladesh in August of 2024, soon after the fall of Hasina's government. He was in a self-imposed exile.
The polls, amid tight security, were held on February 12 across the country. The BNP won decisively in a landslide victory, claiming 209 of the 297 seats, with Jamaat-e-Islami managing to win only 68. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League was meanwhile barred from contesting in the polls.
Tarique Rahman of the BNP will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday, February 16.
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