Bangladesh interim government: Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus takes charge of defence, 26 other portfolios

Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh, has announced the portfolios for the newly appointed council of advisors, assuming control of 27 ministries.

Yunus, a Nobel laureate aged 84, took his oath on Thursday as the chief advisor, succeeding Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India amid violent protests against a controversial job quota system.

The portfolios were allocated following consultations with student leaders, the military, and civil society. Yunus will manage a broad range of ministries, keeping 27 including defense, public administration, education, energy, food, water resources, and information.

Career diplomat Mohammad Touhid Hossain has been appointed to lead the foreign ministry. Hossain previously served as the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata from 2001 to 2005 and as the foreign secretary of Bangladesh from 2006 to 2009.

Retired Army brigadier general M Sakhawat Hossain will oversee the home ministry. Former Bangladesh Bank governor Salahuddin Ahmed will manage the finance and planning ministries. The local government ministry will be under the supervision of former attorney general A F Hassan Arif.

M Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, coordinators of Students Against Discrimination, have also been appointed to the interim cabinet. Islam will manage the telecommunications and information technology ministry, and Mahmud will oversee the youth and sports ministry. This student group initiated the movement to reform the job quota system, which escalated into widespread protests, leading to the end of Sheikh Hasina's 15-year regime and the establishment of the interim government. The military is visibly backing this new government.