Big Take Asia Podcast

A New Bangladesh, an Ousted PM in Exile and a Nobel-Winning Leader

Bangladesh has a new leader. Will he be able to restore the country’s reputation among those who saw it as one of Asia’s rising stars?

Muhammad Yunus with military officials upon his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Aug. 8.Photographer: Munir Uz Zaman/Getty Images

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By K Oanh Ha, Yang Yang, Naomi Ng, Jessica Beck, and Alexander Sugiura

August 13, 2024 at 8:42 PM UTC

Updated on

August 14, 2024 at 4:27 AM UTC

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After weeks of protests and a brutal crackdown that led to several hundred deaths, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down and flee the country, putting an abrupt end to her more than 15 years in power. Stepping into the leadership vacuum is Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who we spoke to last month -- when he was facing charges that his supporters said were trumped up by Hasina.