TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country is ready to help Bangladesh restore peace and order, as Bangladesh's prime minister was recently ousted in massive student protests across the country.

Anwar conveyed this to Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, in a telephone conversation, Anwar said on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

“Prof. Yunus has a history of good relations with Malaysia. Therefore, I have assured Malaysia's readiness to help Bangladesh restore peace and order towards the reconstruction of the country,” Anwar wrote on Facebook about the phone conversation that he said took place the previous night.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned from office on Monday, August 5, 2024, following massive protests across the country and violence that claimed hundreds of lives. What started as a peaceful rally to protest the government's job quota system turned into an attempt to remove Hasina after the former leader mobilized the authorities to suppress the demonstrators.

Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and longtime political foe of Hasina, has been appointed leader of the interim government following a meeting between President Mohammed Shahabuddin, military leaders, student leaders, business people and civil society. The students who led demonstrations over the past month rejected the military-led government. They want Yunus to lead.

According to Anwar, in his conversation with Yunus, the 84-year-old banker promised to be fair to all Bangladeshis.

“I am also happy with his assurance to protect and provide fair treatment to all Bangladeshis including minorities,” he said.

Anwar said Yunus invited him to make a short visit to Bangladesh in the near future to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Yunus, who only created an X account this month, discussed the conversation with Anwar in his first tweet on the social media platform.

“Prime Minister Ibrahim expressed his desire to visit Bangladesh soon. He paid great tribute to the youth who led the revolution to topple Sheikh Hasina's dictatorship earlier this month,” he wrote on his @ChiefAdviserGoB account.

Based on his statement, Yunus expressed hope that more Bangladeshis could get job opportunities in Southeast Asian countries in the near future.

REUTERS

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