After the fall of the Awami League due to a student-led uprising, an interim government was formed on August 8, with Nobel laureate economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the Chief Adviser. In an interview with the Financial Times, he discussed how he was offered the role, why he accepted it, and his vision for governing the country.

While attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Dr. Yunus participated in a podcast hosted by Gideon Rachman, the Financial Times’ chief foreign affairs commentator. The written transcript of this conversation was published on Thursday.

Dr. Yunus recalled receiving the first phone call while in a hospital in Paris, recovering from a minor surgery. Student leaders contacted him, saying, “She (Sheikh Hasina) is gone. We need to form a government now. Please lead us.” Initially, he declined, stating he was neither the right person nor interested in politics. He didn’t even know the student leaders personally and tried convincing them to find another leader. However, they insisted, saying they had found no one else. He urged them to search for another 24 hours before calling him again.

When the students contacted him the next day, they said they had exhausted all options and pleaded with him to return. Reflecting on their sacrifices and the bloodshed on the streets, he felt a sense of duty. Though reluctant, he ultimately agreed, stating that since they had risked everything, he too must contribute. The students fell silent in response.

Two hours later, a nurse in the hospital gifted him a bouquet, congratulating him on becoming Bangladesh’s Prime Minister. Surprised, he asked how she knew, and she replied that it was all over the media. Later, hospital officials, including board members, also congratulated him, stating he would not be discharged before the afternoon.

Dr. Yunus then informed the hospital director about his urgent need to return to Bangladesh. The director assured him they would make all necessary arrangements for a safe journey, providing him with medication and support. Hours later, in the morning, a large unit of the French military escorted him to the airport. That was how his journey back to Bangladesh began.