Inside Muhammad Yunus-Led Bangladesh Interim Government: A Look at Activists, Protesters, and Emerging Challenges
Muhammad Yunus sworn in as head of Bangladesh’s interim government, forming a Cabinet of 16 members mainly from civil society and student leaders.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government on Thursday evening, following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at the presidential palace in Dhaka, in a ceremony attended by diplomats, civil society members, top business leaders, and members of the former opposition party. Notably, no representatives from Sheikh Hasina’s party were present.
Muhammad Yunus, now serving as chief adviser—a role equivalent to prime minister—leads an interim Cabinet of 16 members, mostly drawn from civil society, including two student protest leaders. The Cabinet was selected through discussions among student leaders, civil society, and the military earlier this week.
Bangladesh interim government: List of 16 chief adviser
- Syeda Rizwana Hasan – Supreme Court lawyer and the chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)
- Farida Akhtar – Women’s rights activist
- Adilur Rahman Khan – Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist in Bangladesh
- AFM Khalid Hossain – Right-wing party Hefazat-e-Islam’s deputy chief
- Nurjahan Begum – Grameen Telecom trustee and one of the earliest associates of Muhammad Yunus.
- Sharmeen Murshid – Election expert and freedom fighter (Bangladesh Liberation War)
- Faruk-e-Azam – Recipient of the Bir Pratik honour, the fourth highest gallantry award in Bangladesh, for 1971 Liberation War.
- Nahid Islam – Dhaka University student and key organiser of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement.
- Asif Mahmud – Dhaka University student and key organiser of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement.
- Salehuddin Ahmed – Former governor of Bangladesh Bank.
- Prof Asif Nazrul – Dhaka University law professor.
- AF Hassan Ariff – Former attorney general and senior advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court.
- M Sakhawat Hossain – Former election commissioner and a retired brigadier general of the Bangladesh Army.
- Prof Bidhan Ranjan Roy – Former director of Bangladesh’s National Institute of Mental Health & Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry.
- Touhid Hossain – Former foreign secretary of Bangladesh.
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