seventeen members of Bangladesh’s interim government took their oaths in a ceremony held in Dhaka. Leading the newly formed government is Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus, 84, who was sworn in as the country’s chief advisor.

This development comes after Sheikh Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister and left the country amid widespread unrest. Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus in a ceremony attended by foreign diplomats, civil society members, top businessmen, and former opposition party members at the presidential palace in Dhaka. Interestingly, no representatives from Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, were present. 

The members of the interim government include:

– Muhammad Yunus: Chief Advisor
– Salehuddin Ahmed: Economist and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank
– Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain: Former Election Commissioner
– Md Nazrul Islam (Asif Nazrul): Academic and legal expert
– Adilur Rahman Khan: Human rights activist
– AF Hassan Ariff: Legal expert and former Attorney General
– Md Touhid Hossain: Diplomat and former Foreign Secretary
– Syeda Rizwana Hasan: Environmental lawyer and activist
– Supradip Chakma: Advocate for indigenous rights
– Farida Akhter: Women’s rights activist
– Bidhan Ranjan Roy: Educator
– Sharmeen Murshid: Civil society leader
– AFM Khalid Hossain: Cultural activist
– Farooq-e-Azam: Business leader
– Nurjahan Begum: Advocate for gender equality
– Nahid Islam: Social worker
– Asif Mahmud: Youth leader

United States expressed hope that the interim government will lead the nation towards a democratic future. US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on Thursday that the US has been in communication with the interim government. “Our charge d’affaires attended the swearing-in of Yunus today. We have made it clear that we want to see the interim government chart a democratic future for the people of Bangladesh,” Miller said during a press briefing.