Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus was approached to head Bangladesh’s interim government two days before former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following mass student protests in August 2024, according to new revelations from a former senior official.
Shafiqul Alam, who previously served as Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, disclosed the details in a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, offering unprecedented insight into the clandestine operations that facilitated one of Bangladesh’s most pivotal political transitions.
The Secret Channel: Role of AFP Journalist Qadaruddin Shishir
According to Alam, student movement leaders seeking to establish a post-Hasina administration required a trusted intermediary to contact the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner while Hasina’s security forces remained active across the capital.
- The Bridge-Builder: Qadaruddin Shishir, then editor of Agence France-Presse’s (AFP) Dhaka fact-check team, acted as the primary liaison between student organizers and Yunus.
- High-Stakes Operation: Alam stated that Shishir managed the initial negotiations in complete secrecy from the AFP Dhaka bureau while quietly gathering video evidence of violence during the student crackdowns.
- Evading State Intelligence: The secret talks occurred two days prior to Hasina’s departure on August 5, 2024, evading detection by state intelligence agencies. “Had they discovered what was happening, Shishir and our entire AFP team would likely have ended up in an Aynaghar (secret prison),” Alam wrote.
Following Hasina’s exit, an interim administration led by Yunus assumed office on August 8, 2024, governing until constitutional order was restored.
Hasina’s Counter-Allegations & Recent Unrest
From exile in India, deposed leader Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly accused the Yunus-led administration of political victimisation and permitting violence against Awami League members under the guise of transition. Hasina was subsequently tried in absentia by an international crimes tribunal in Dhaka.
The revelation comes amid continued international scrutiny surrounding the 2024 transition. During a recent visit to the United States, Yunus encountered vocal protests from Awami League supporters outside John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where security personnel were forced to intervene to escort him safely from the terminal.
