Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus referred to Bangladesh as a “free country” following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after weeks of violent protests. In an interview with The Print, Dr. Yunus remarked, “We were an occupied country as long as she (Sheikh Hasina) was there. She was behaving like an occupation force, a dictator, a general, controlling everything. Today all the people of Bangladesh feel liberated.”

Dr. Yunus, who has been facing over 190 charges by the Awami League government, accused Hasina of tarnishing the legacy of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He described the violence and vandalism by protesters as expressions of anger against Sheikh Hasina and the damage she had caused.

Expressing optimism, Dr. Yunus said he hoped that the same students and young people would lead Bangladesh in the right direction in the future. He explained that the anger against Sheikh Hasina had not been politically expressed due to rigged general elections, resulting in demands for quota changes. “It immediately caught up because the government behaved the same way, attacking them rather than listening to them because they are not in a listening mood at all,” he told The Print.

Currently on bail, Dr. Yunus looks forward to significant changes once a fair general election is held in Bangladesh. He advised Bangladeshis to learn from past mistakes and adhere to democratic principles. "As long as we stick to that, you remain a strong country. We can be a beautiful country,” he added.

In a recent development, Nahid Islam, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, announced in a late-night video message that Dr. Yunus had agreed to lead an interim government. The full list of proposed interim government members will be disclosed on Tuesday morning.