In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the nation, Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate economist, has been thrust into the role of interim leader of Bangladesh.
The unexpected removal of Sheikh Hasina on August 5th precipitated a period of intense unrest, with violent clashes resulting in the tragic loss of life. Amidst this turmoil, the military stepped in, appointing Yunus to head a caretaker government.
Born on 28 June 1940 in Chattogram, Dr Yunus is renowned globally for his pioneering work in microcredit and the establishment of the Grameen Bank.
He has spent much of his career championing the cause of the world’s poorest.
From Chattogram to the world
His early childhood was spent in the village. In 1944, his family moved to the city of Chittagong, and he moved from his village school to Lamabazar Primary School.
By 1949, his mother was afflicted with psychological illness.
Later, he passed the matriculation examination from Chittagong Collegiate School ranking 16th of 39,000 students in East Pakistan.
During his school years, he was an active Boy Scout, and travelled to West Pakistan and India in 1952, and to Canada in 1955 to attend Jamborees.
Later, while Yunus was studying at Chittagong College, he became active in cultural activities and won awards for drama.
In 1957, he enrolled in the Department of Economics at Dhaka University and completed his BA in 1960 and MA in 1961.
After his graduation, Yunus joined the Bureau of Economics as a research assistant to the economics researches of Nurul Islam and Rehman Sobhan.
Later, he was appointed lecturer in economics in Chittagong College in 1961.
During that time, he also set up a profitable packaging factory on the side.[16] In 1965, he received a Fulbright scholarship to study in the United States. He obtained his PhD in economics from the Vanderbilt University Graduate Program in Economic Development (GPED) in 1971.
From 1969 to 1972, Yunus was assistant professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Yunus founded a citizen's committee and ran the Bangladesh Information Centre, with other Bangladeshis in the United States, to raise support for liberation.
He also published the Bangladesh Newsletter from his home in Nashville. After the War, he returned to Bangladesh and was appointed to the government's Planning Commission.
However, he found the job boring and resigned to join Chittagong University as head of the Economics department.
After observing the famine of 1974, he became involved in poverty reduction and established a rural economic programme as a research project.
In 1975, he developed a Nabajug (New Era) Tebhaga Khamar (three share farm) which the government adopted as the Packaged Input Programme.
A man of accolades
Apart from the Nobel prize, Dr Yunus has received several other national and international honours, including from the US.
He received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.[
Yunus is one of just seven individuals who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal.
In 2012, he became Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, a position he held until 2018.
Previously, he was a professor of economics at Chittagong University in Bangladesh.
He published several books related to his finance work. He is a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation, which supports microcredit.
Yunus also served on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to support UN causes, from 1998 to 2021.
A start both at home and abroad
Yunus is a figure of immense stature both domestically and internationally. His unwavering commitment to social justice and his ability to connect with people from all walks of life have earned him the respect of millions.
However, his journey to this pivotal moment has been fraught with challenges.
In recent years, he has faced a barrage of legal accusations, many of which his supporters believe were politically motivated.
These attacks, coupled with his outspoken criticism of the government, suggest a deep-seated animosity between Yunus and the political establishment.
While the prospect of leading a nation may seem incongruous with his academic background, Yunus possesses a unique blend of empathy, intellect, and determination.
His ability to galvanise support and inspire hope has been evident throughout his career. As he embarks on this new chapter, the world watches with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.
