The Evening Wrap: Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus ready to lead after Hasina flees

Bangladesh Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) he is ready to head a caretaker government, a day after the military took control as mass protests forced longtime ruler Sheikh Hasina to flee. Microfinance pioneer Yunus, 84, is credited with lifting millions out of poverty — earning the enmity of ousted Hasina and the wide respect of millions of Bangladeshis. “If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it,” he told AFP in a statement, also calling for “free elections”, after student leaders called for him to lead an interim government. The President dissolved Parliament on Tuesday a key demand of the student leaders and the major opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which has demanded elections within three months. “In Dr. Yunus, we trust,” Asif Mahmud, a key leader of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) group, wrote on Facebook. The military on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) reshuffled several top generals, demoting some seen as close to Hasina, and sacking Ziaul Ahsan, a commander of the feared and U.S.-sanctioned Rapid Action Battalion paramilitary force. Ex-Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, 78, was also released from years of house arrest, a presidential statement and her party said. As U.K. hesitates on asylum request, Sheikh Hasina considers UAE, ‘family options’ in Finland and U.S. Twenty-four hours after ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka and landed at Delhi’s Hindon base, it is still unclear where her final destination will be, as sources confirmed that the United Kingdom is “unlikely” to accept her request for asylum. Meanwhile, it is understood that Hasina, who had to leave Bangladesh at very short notice is discussing options with other countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, apart from those where her immediate family resides: U.S., U.K, Finland and India. According to officials, Hasina, who is travelling with her sister Sheikh Rehana Siddiq, is at a “safe house” pending a final decision. In the interim, U.K. government officials pointed to Immigration law under which “there is no provision” for those outside the U.K. to claim asylum or temporary refuge. “Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach (in this case, India)- that is the fastest route to safety.” Officials declined to comment on whether Hasina has also applied for a regular visa to the U.K. The former Bangladesh PM had formally requested for permission to travel to the United Kingdom shortly after landing in Delhi, in the hope that she could fly directly on board the Bangladesh Airforce plane that brought her to Delhi, on to London. Sheikh Rehana holds a U.K. passport under Bangladesh’s dual citizenship laws, and her daughter Tulip Siddiq is the sitting Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Hampstead and Highgate (North London), and is the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister. However, those hopes were dimmed a few hours later when U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a statement on the situation in Bangladesh which made no mention of Hasina or her request. According to officials who could not be named, the U.K. government is worried about pressure from the rival BNP loyalists who are influential there, as well as concerns that Hasina could be accused of Human Rights violations. In the past however, U.K. has allowed a slew of Pakistani leaders in exile, including Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto as well as the BNP’s Tariq Rehman to live there. In Europe, Hasina’s next option would be to travel to Helsinki where Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq “Bobby” lives, and married a Finnish national. Siddiq was a “youth activist” in Bangladesh who edited a magazine, heading the Centre for Research & Information (CRI) and Young Bangla NGOs, and was frequently involved in government campaigns there. Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed “Joy” lives in the U.S. state of Virginia along with his wife, an American lawyer. While he worked as a Digital Advisor to the Bangladesh government for years, Wazed came under fire for sparking prosecutions of Grameen Bank founder and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has now been named a key figure in the interim government, and Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam. Hasina’s relationship with the Biden administration has been tense, especially after its May 2023 special visa policy to support “free and fair elections in Bangladesh” that led to sanctions against officials believed to be subverting the process. The U.S. State department was very critical of the January 2024 elections as well, and in May this year, Hasina had, in veiled comments, accused a “western government” of trying to set up a military base in Bangladesh by force. Officials said they weren’t aware if Hasina had applied for a U.S. visa after fleeing Bangladesh, but confirmed that her present visa on her official passport would be “no longer valid” as she had resigned from her post. Hasina’s stay would perhaps be most awkward for New Delhi itself, despite historical relations through Bangladesh’s independence struggle and after, and the Modi government’s close ties with PM Hasina’s government for the past decade, said government sources. Hasina’s daughter lives in Delhi, as the regional director of the World Health Organisation, a post that the MEA worked closely with Hasina’s office to win a contest with the Nepali candidate. Even so, as New Delhi seeks to engage the new establishment in Dhaka and continue its strategic, trade and connectivity partnerships, the ousted PM’s presence here would be difficult to explain, especially if the interim government or a new dispensation demands her extradition to stand charges in Bangladesh. Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), according to three people who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. In choosing Walz, she is turning to a Midwestern Governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families. Harris hopes to shore up her campaign’s standing across the upper Midwest, a critical region in presidential politics that often serves as a buffer for Democrats seeking the White House. The party remains haunted by Republican Donald Trump’s wins in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016. Trump lost those states in 2020 but has zeroed in on them as he aims to return to the presidency this year and is expanding his focus to Minnesota. Walz has been a strong public advocate for Harris in her campaign against Trump and J.D. Vance, labelling the Republicans “just weird” in an interview last month. Democrats have seized on the message and amplified it since then. Search for missing people in Wayanad disaster to continue, death toll put at 224 so far The search for bodies of missing people in the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides continued on the eighth day on Tuesday (August 6, 2024). Although no new bodies were retrieved, the search teams retrieved seven body parts from different places. The death toll was officially confirmed to be 224. While 148 bodies were recovered from Wayanad, 76 bodies have been retrieved from the Chaliyar in Nilambur so far. As many as 189 body parts too were recovered. An official press statement said that 152 people were missing. As many as 22 unidentified body parts were buried on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) evening. An elaborate search was conducted from Punchirimattam, where the landslide originated, down to Mundakkai and Chooralmala. The search extended further down to Soochippara waterfalls in Meppadi panchayat, and Pothukal and Nilambur in Malappuram district. Indian Air Force helicopters airlifted two search teams to the remote Soochipara waterfalls and the densely forested Sunrise Valley. The choppers carried rescue teams comprising the Kerala Police’s Special Operations Group, Army men, and Forest department officials. Army’s high-altitude operations experts and SOG personnel with rappelling gear were among the search team. Revenue Minister K. Rajan said the search teams scoured the dense undergrowth on the edges of the waterfall and at least two rapids downstream. The operation entailed negotiating through the thick undergrowth and searching for bodies in the overhang of bushes, water reeds and gnarled tree roots dipping into the water. He said the search would continue on Wednesday (August 7, 2024). As many as 1,174 personnel of different forces took part in the search using 85 earthmovers. There were 1,126 volunteers on the disaster ground. As many as 18,000 volunteers have registered through the government system. As many as 2,225 people of 648 displaced families were in 16 relief camps in Meppadi, including 845 women and 533 children. The students of Government Higher Secondary School, Vellarmala, which was destroyed in the landslide, will be given facility at Government Higher Secondary School, Meppadi. Paris Olympics: Neeraj Chopra qualifies for javelin finals; Vinesh Phogat enters wrestling semifinals Defending champion Neeraj Chopra turned on the style as he stormed into the men’s javelin throw final of the Olympic Games with a season’s best effort of 89.34m in his very first attempt in the qualification round in Paris on August 6. Much like his performance in the Tokyo Olympics, the 26-year-old crossed the automatic qualifying mark of 84m in his opening throw to occupy the top spot in Group B. The tremendous effort, which is the second best of his career, also set aside concerns surrounding Chopra’s fitness after he revealed that he had been battling an adductor niggle in the build-up to the Games. His personal best continues to be 89.94m achieved back in 2022. The other Indian in fray, Kishore Jena, bowed out of contention to make the 12-man final after managing a poor throw of 80.73m. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, also qualified for the finals with a throw of 86.59m in Group B. From the same group, Grenada veteran Anderson Peters too made the cut with a throw of 88.63m. Meanwhile, following her struggles during the wrestlers’ protest last year, uncertainties after a knee surgery and confusion over whether she could get a chance to challenge Antim Panghal, who had won the 53kg Olympic quota place, two-time World championships bronze medal winning wrestler Vinesh Phogat chose to compete in the 50kg selection trials and eventually secured a quota. Despite the arduous task of significantly cutting down her body weight, obviously by staying without food, to fit into 50kg, Vinesh was determination personified as she shocked Japan’s World and Olympic champion Yui Susaki 3-2 in her opening bout on her way to the semifinals of the Olympics at the Champ de Mars wrestling arena in Paris on Tuesday (August 6, 2024). This was the first loss for Yui in an international competition. She never tasted defeat in 82 international matches and has lost only thrice in her life to a Japanese opponent Yuki Irie. The Indian’s takedown helped her grab a 2-0 lead in the first period. She made it 4-0 through a double leg attack before Oksana fought back brilliantly to bridge the gap to 4-2. Vinesh secured one more point, but the Ukrainian got another too via a pushout. A challenge from the Indian corner was unsuccessful and the score was tantalisingly poised at 5-4. Pressure from poor Muslim groups to amend Waqf Act, says Kiren Rijiju As the Union government prepares to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju told The Hindu on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) that there is a long-standing demand from “poor Muslim groups” to amend the legislation. Rijiju said a decision to introduce a Bill to amend the Act in the ongoing session of the Parliament was “still under consideration.” The Minister said, “There is pressure from poor Muslim women and groups to manage the Waqf properties in a transparent manner. Several groups have been demanding reforms to the Act. Consultation with various groups has been going on for many years.” The government is yet to circulate a copy of the Bill among the members of parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Waqf refers to the properties dedicated exclusively for religious or charitable purposes under the Islamic law. Waqf Boards currently control 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across India with an estimated value of 1.2 lakh crores. It makes them the third largest landowner in India after the armed forces and the Indian Railways. The Act was last amended in 2013. In Brief: Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier three times over Beirut in less than 30 minutes on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), leading to loud booms that sent people in the city running for cover just ahead of a speech by the head of the powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Israeli warplanes flew low over the Lebanese capital, with witnesses saying they could see the planes with the naked eye. The booms were the loudest heard in Beirut in years. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 06 August 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Sheikh Hasina’s ouster: Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus ready to lead after Hasina flees Bangladesh Nobel winner [Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) he is ready to head a caretaker government]( a day after the military took control as [mass protests forced longtime ruler Sheikh Hasina to flee](. Microfinance pioneer Yunus, 84, is credited with lifting millions out of poverty — earning the enmity of ousted Hasina and the wide respect of millions of Bangladeshis. “If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it,” he told AFP in a statement, also calling for “free elections”, after student leaders called for him to lead an interim government. The President dissolved Parliament on Tuesday a key demand of the student leaders and the major opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which has demanded elections within three months. “In Dr. Yunus, we trust,” Asif Mahmud, a key leader of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) group, wrote on Facebook. The military on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) reshuffled several top generals, demoting some seen as close to Hasina, and sacking Ziaul Ahsan, a commander of the feared and U.S.-sanctioned Rapid Action Battalion paramilitary force. Ex-Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, 78, was also released from years of house arrest, a presidential statement and her party said. As U.K. hesitates on asylum request, Sheikh Hasina considers UAE, ‘family options’ in Finland and U.S. Twenty-four hours after ousted Bangladesh [Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka]( and landed at Delhi’s Hindon base, it is [still unclear where her final destination will be]( as sources confirmed that the United Kingdom is “unlikely” to accept her request for asylum. Meanwhile, it is understood that Hasina, who had to leave Bangladesh at very short notice is discussing options with other countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, apart from those where her immediate family resides: U.S., U.K, Finland and India. According to officials, Hasina, who is travelling with her sister Sheikh Rehana Siddiq, is at a “safe house” pending a final decision. In the interim, U.K. government officials pointed to Immigration law under which “there is no provision” for those outside the U.K. to claim asylum or temporary refuge. “Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach (in this case, India)- that is the fastest route to safety.” Officials declined to comment on whether Hasina has also applied for a regular visa to the U.K. The former Bangladesh PM had formally requested for permission to travel to the United Kingdom shortly after landing in Delhi, in the hope that she could fly directly on board the Bangladesh Airforce plane that brought her to Delhi, on to London. Sheikh Rehana holds a U.K. passport under Bangladesh’s dual citizenship laws, and her daughter Tulip Siddiq is the sitting Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Hampstead and Highgate (North London), and is the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister. However, those hopes were dimmed a few hours later when U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a statement on the situation in Bangladesh which made no mention of Hasina or her request. According to officials who could not be named, the U.K. government is worried about pressure from the rival BNP loyalists who are influential there, as well as concerns that Hasina could be accused of Human Rights violations. In the past however, U.K. has allowed a slew of Pakistani leaders in exile, including Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto as well as the BNP’s Tariq Rehman to live there. In Europe, Hasina’s next option would be to travel to Helsinki where Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq “Bobby” lives, and married a Finnish national. Siddiq was a “youth activist” in Bangladesh who edited a magazine, heading the Centre for Research & Information (CRI) and Young Bangla NGOs, and was frequently involved in government campaigns there. Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed “Joy” lives in the U.S. state of Virginia along with his wife, an American lawyer. While he worked as a Digital Advisor to the Bangladesh government for years, Wazed came under fire for sparking prosecutions of Grameen Bank founder and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has now been named a key figure in the interim government, and Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam. Hasina’s relationship with the Biden administration has been tense, especially after its May 2023 special visa policy to support “free and fair elections in Bangladesh” that led to sanctions against officials believed to be subverting the process. The U.S. State department was very critical of the January 2024 elections as well, and in May this year, Hasina had, in veiled comments, accused a “western government” of trying to set up a military base in Bangladesh by force. Officials said they weren’t aware if Hasina had applied for a U.S. visa after fleeing Bangladesh, but confirmed that her present visa on her official passport would be “no longer valid” as she had resigned from her post. Hasina’s stay would perhaps be most awkward for New Delhi itself, despite historical relations through Bangladesh’s independence struggle and after, and the Modi government’s close ties with PM Hasina’s government for the past decade, said government sources. Hasina’s daughter lives in Delhi, as the regional director of the World Health Organisation, a post that the MEA worked closely with Hasina’s office to win a contest with the Nepali candidate. Even so, as New Delhi seeks to engage the new establishment in Dhaka and continue its strategic, trade and connectivity partnerships, the ousted PM’s presence here would be difficult to explain, especially if the interim government or a new dispensation demands her extradition to stand charges in Bangladesh. Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as running mate U.S. Vice-President [Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz]( to be her running mate on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), according to three people who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. In choosing Walz, she is turning to a [Midwestern Governor]( military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families. Harris hopes to shore up her campaign’s standing across the upper Midwest, a critical region in presidential politics that often serves as a buffer for Democrats seeking the White House. The party remains haunted by Republican Donald Trump’s wins in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016. Trump lost those states in 2020 but has zeroed in on them as he aims to return to the presidency this year and is expanding his focus to Minnesota. Walz has been a strong public advocate for Harris in her campaign against Trump and J.D. Vance, labelling the Republicans “just weird” in an interview last month. Democrats have seized on the message and amplified it since then. Search for missing people in Wayanad disaster to continue, death toll put at 224 so far The [search for bodies of missing people in the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides continued]( on the eighth day on Tuesday (August 6, 2024). Although no new bodies were retrieved, the search teams retrieved seven body parts from different places. The death toll was officially confirmed to be 224. While 148 bodies were recovered from Wayanad, 76 bodies have been retrieved from the Chaliyar in Nilambur so far. As many as 189 body parts too were recovered. An official press statement said that 152 people were missing. As many as 22 unidentified body parts were buried on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) evening. An elaborate search was conducted from Punchirimattam, where the landslide originated, down to Mundakkai and Chooralmala. The search extended further down to Soochippara waterfalls in Meppadi panchayat, and Pothukal and Nilambur in Malappuram district. Indian Air Force helicopters airlifted two search teams to the remote Soochipara waterfalls and the densely forested Sunrise Valley. The choppers carried rescue teams comprising the Kerala Police’s Special Operations Group, Army men, and Forest department officials. Army’s high-altitude operations experts and SOG personnel with rappelling gear were among the search team. Revenue Minister K. Rajan said the search teams scoured the dense undergrowth on the edges of the waterfall and at least two rapids downstream. The operation entailed negotiating through the thick undergrowth and searching for bodies in the overhang of bushes, water reeds and gnarled tree roots dipping into the water. He said the search would continue on Wednesday (August 7, 2024). As many as 1,174 personnel of different forces took part in the search using 85 earthmovers. There were 1,126 volunteers on the disaster ground. As many as 18,000 volunteers have registered through the government system. As many as 2,225 people of 648 displaced families were in 16 relief camps in Meppadi, including 845 women and 533 children. The students of Government Higher Secondary School, Vellarmala, which was destroyed in the landslide, will be given facility at Government Higher Secondary School, Meppadi. Paris Olympics: Neeraj Chopra qualifies for javelin finals; Vinesh Phogat enters wrestling semifinals Defending champion [Neeraj Chopra turned on the style as he stormed into the men’s javelin throw final]( of the [Olympic Games]( with a season’s best effort of 89.34m in his very first attempt in the qualification round in Paris on August 6. Much like his performance in the Tokyo Olympics, the 26-year-old crossed the automatic qualifying mark of 84m in his opening throw to occupy the top spot in Group B. The tremendous effort, which is the second best of his career, also set aside concerns surrounding Chopra’s fitness after he revealed that he had been battling an adductor niggle in the build-up to the Games. His personal best continues to be 89.94m achieved back in 2022. The other Indian in fray, Kishore Jena, bowed out of contention to make the 12-man final after managing a poor throw of 80.73m. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, also qualified for the finals with a throw of 86.59m in Group B. From the same group, Grenada veteran Anderson Peters too made the cut with a throw of 88.63m. Meanwhile, following her struggles during the wrestlers’ protest last year, uncertainties after a knee surgery and confusion over whether she could get a chance to challenge Antim Panghal, who had won the 53kg Olympic quota place, two-time World championships bronze medal winning wrestler [Vinesh Phogat chose to compete in the 50kg selection trials and eventually secured a quota](. Despite the arduous task of significantly cutting down her body weight, obviously by staying without food, to fit into 50kg, Vinesh was determination personified as she shocked Japan’s World and Olympic champion Yui Susaki 3-2 in her opening bout on her way to the semifinals of the Olympics at the Champ de Mars wrestling arena in Paris on Tuesday (August 6, 2024). This was the first loss for Yui in an international competition. She never tasted defeat in 82 international matches and has lost only thrice in her life to a Japanese opponent Yuki Irie. The Indian’s takedown helped her grab a 2-0 lead in the first period. She made it 4-0 through a double leg attack before Oksana fought back brilliantly to bridge the gap to 4-2. Vinesh secured one more point, but the Ukrainian got another too via a pushout. A challenge from the Indian corner was unsuccessful and the score was tantalisingly poised at 5-4. Pressure from poor Muslim groups to amend Waqf Act, says Kiren Rijiju As the Union government prepares to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju told The Hindu on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) that [there is a long-standing demand from “poor Muslim groups” to amend the legislation](. Rijiju said a decision to introduce a Bill to amend the Act in the ongoing session of the Parliament was “still under consideration.” The Minister said, “There is pressure from poor Muslim women and groups to manage the Waqf properties in a transparent manner. Several groups have been demanding reforms to the Act. Consultation with various groups has been going on for many years.” The government is yet to circulate a copy of the Bill among the members of parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Waqf refers to the properties dedicated exclusively for religious or charitable purposes under the Islamic law. Waqf Boards currently control 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across India with an estimated value of 1.2 lakh crores. It makes them the third largest landowner in India after the armed forces and the Indian Railways. The Act was last amended in 2013. In Brief: [Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier three times over Beirut]( in less than 30 minutes on Tuesday (August 6, 2024), leading to loud booms that sent people in the city running for cover just ahead of a speech by the head of the powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Israeli warplanes flew low over the Lebanese capital, with witnesses saying they could see the planes with the naked eye. The booms were the loudest heard in Beirut in years. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today’s Top Picks [[Nobel Prize-winning physicist Tsung-Dao Lee dies at age 97] Nobel Prize-winning physicist Tsung-Dao Lee dies at age 97]( [[Harris vs Trump: Who will determine the defining issues of the Presidential race? | In Focus podcast] Harris vs Trump: Who will determine the defining issues of the Presidential race? | In Focus podcast]( [[Citing national security, Defence Ministry declines to share details of staff shortage in armed forces] Citing national security, Defence Ministry declines to share details of staff shortage in armed forces]( [[Paris Olympics: Gold and world record inevitable when Duplantis takes flight] Paris Olympics: Gold and world record inevitable when Duplantis takes flight]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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