Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, on Tuesday revealed the “brain” behind the student-led movement that culminated in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, saying that the “revolution” was “meticulously designed”.
At the Clinton Global Initiative on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Yunus introduced key figures from the ‘Monsoon Revolution’ which led to the overthrow of the Awami League government, that had been in power for 16 years.
“They shook the whole country with their speeches, their dedication and their commitment. They said you can kill us anytime you want but we are not giving up,” Yunus stated introducing the pivotal student leaders behind the coup.
Gesturing towards Mahfuz Alam, Yunus said he was the “brain behind the whole revolution”. “He denies it repeatedly that ‘it’s not me but many others’. But he’s the brain behind the whole thing… this amazing meticulously designed thing. It (did) not just come up suddenly, it’s very well-designed. You can’t recognise who’s the leader… so you can’t catch one and say it’s over,” Yunus said.
Yunus and Alam were sharing a stage with Bill Clinton, Ayesha Siddiqa Tithi, a student at Brac University, and Zahin Razeen, founder of Hydroquo+, according to Dhaka Tribune.
Following his statement, Yunus was among the top trending searches on Google.
Muhammad Yunus was among the top trending searches on Friday
Recalling the students’ protest, the Nobel laureate stated that, “Suddenly all the young people of Bangladesh got together and said, ‘Enough is Enough.’ We are not going to take it anymore. And they didn’t.”
“They are the ones creating the new version of Bangladesh—let’s wish them every success,” Yunus said on Tuesday.
Who is Mahfuz Alam?
Born in 1995 in Ichapur village, Lakshmipur district, Mahfuz completed his secondary education at Gallak Darussunnat Alim Madrasa in Chandpur, according to Prothom Alo. He then pursued higher secondary education at Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasa. In 2015, he enrolled in the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka, where he became actively involved in student activism.
Mahfuz Alam, also known as Mahfuz Abdullah, is a Bangladeshi student activist recognised for his leadership in various social movements. He is notably the coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, which has played a pivotal role in advocating for quota reforms and organising the non-cooperation movement in 2024.
A look back at the Bangladesh protests
The student protests that led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5 began as a response to a controversial job quota system perceived as favoring certain groups over others. Initially sparked by demands for fair employment opportunities, these protests quickly escalated into a broader movement against systemic corruption and authoritarian governance. The situation intensified dramatically in July 2024 when a violent crackdown by security forces resulted in over 300 fatalities, igniting widespread outrage across the country.
Following Hasina’s departure, Yunus was appointed as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8. Yunus, an acclaimed economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate known for founding Grameen Bank and pioneering microfinance, was seen as an apolitical leader capable of bridging divides within a fractured political landscape.
Addressing the global event, Yunus stated that the students sacrificed their lives and said, “How many of us can you kill? We’re here, kill us but we’re going to change the world…change Bangladesh. And they invited me to head the interim government.”
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