Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government, has spoken openly about receiving the offer to become the chief advisor while in a hospital in Paris, the capital of France, his phone conversations with student leaders protesting in Dhaka, and his thoughts at that time.
The whole nation was waiting for my return flight.
The chief advisor recently visited Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. During that time, he spoke on a podcast hosted by Gideon Rahman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the British newspaper Financial Times.
The conversation on the podcast program called 'Rakhman Review' was published in written form on Thursday.
In the conversation, Professor Yunus said, 'When I first received the phone call, I was in a hospital in Paris. I had undergone a minor surgery. Then they (student leaders) called. Although I used to watch the news of what was happening in Bangladesh every day on my mobile phone. Then they said, "She (Sheikh Hasina) has left. Now we have to form a government. Please, form a government for us." I said, no, I am not that person. I know nothing about it. I don't even want to be associated with it.'
In response to the question of who contacted him, Professor Yunus said, 'The students. I didn't know any of them. I had never heard of them. So I was trying to convince them to find a replacement. I told them, there are many good leaders in Bangladesh. You find them. They were saying, "No, no, no, you have to stay. We haven't found anyone." I said, try hard. They said, "We don't have enough time." Then I said, try at least for a day. If you don't get it, call me again after 24 hours.'
Professor Yunus said, 'They (student leaders) called me again. They said, "We tried a lot. But it wasn't possible. You must return home." Finally, I said, look, you have given your lives on the streets. There has been a lot of bloodshed. You are on the front lines. Since you have been able to do all this, even if you don't want to, I should do something for you. And this is the time. The government needs to be reformed. I agree. Do you agree? They didn't say anything else.'
Sharing his experience of that day, Professor Yunus said, 'A couple of hours later, a nurse from the hospital came. She presented me with a bouquet of flowers. I asked, why is this? Then the nurse said, "You are the 'Prime Minister' of Bangladesh, we didn't know that." I asked, "How did you know that?" Then she said, "All the media, all the televisions are broadcasting the news that you are the 'Prime Minister' of Bangladesh." I said, "I learned that from you."
Professor Yunus said, "A couple of hours later, the hospital chief along with the board members arrived. They congratulated me as the new 'Prime Minister' with a bouquet of flowers. They also said that I would not be allowed to leave the hospital before afternoon."
Professor Yunus said, "I told the director, they want me. They are asking me to go to the country. Can you prepare me for the trip?" He said, "Of course, we have to obey you. You are a prime minister. We will make all kinds of preparations for your safe journey. We will provide everything including necessary medicines. We will be in constant contact."
A few hours later, a large contingent of French troops arrived at the airport in the morning to escort me to the airport, Professor Yunus said. "That was the story before I returned home. The entire nation was waiting for my return flight. I boarded a commercial plane. By then, they (the student leaders) had already outlined the outline of the new government. I addressed the nation from the airport. I asked everyone to maintain patience, peace, and unity. That was the beginning of the whole incident," he said.
