An octogenarian has become the face of Bangladesh’s youth movement.
Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old father of microfinance, personifies the demands for security and opportunity of young protesters in the South Asian country in a way that few other figures could. He’s widely popular in a country that has witnessed years of increasing authoritarianism. He’s secular. And he’s a long-time champion for the poor at a time when poverty and economic insecurity are on the rise.
“We will create a new democratic Bangladesh through our promise of security of life, social justice and a new political landscape,” said Nahid Islam, a student leading the protesters who forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country this week.
Yesterday, Yunus was appointed to head an interim government, following calls from Islam and the Students Against Discrimination movement.
“In Dr. Yunus, we trust,” said Asif Mahmud, another of SAD’s leaders.
New leaf
Many in Bangladesh saw Yunus as a victim of Hasina’s increasing authoritarianism. Just five months ago, Grameen Telecomm’s offices were raided. Yunus was indicted in June in an embezzlement case involving the company, one of the many in the Grameen empire of businesses and worker-owned cooperatives that have helped slash the country’s poverty rate.
Yunus and his supporters believe the case was politically motivated. Hasina “sees me as a political threat,” he told NBC News.
The Nobel laureate’s interim appointment, observed Amnesty International’s Smriti Singh, is an opportunity for Bangladesh “to show solidarity with its people, protect the most vulnerable, and not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Economic opportunity
Bangladeshi students took to the streets in July to protest a quota system for government workers put forward by Hasina, who has ruled Bangladesh since 2009. The quota was designed to curb political opposition, the latest move by Hasina to consolidate power for her Awami League political party. The rule would have limited young people’s pathways to stable, well-paying jobs in a country where youth unemployment tops 15%, growth has stalled, and inflation is pushing more people into poverty.
Bangladesh is not the only country where young people are making their voices heard on the streets. Youth demonstrators were at the forefront of weeks of violent protests in Kenya, protesting President William Ruto’s handling of the economy, lack of access to basic services, stagnating wages, and widespread corruption.
Violent protests erupted in Nigeria last week against harsh economic reforms meant to address the country’s record debt levels. On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu, addressed young Nigerians directly. “I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests.”
