Interim leader takes helm in Bangladesh in bid to bring peace ahead of elections

Muhammad Yunus speaks to the media after his arrival (Ahadul Karim Khan/AP)

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken the oath of office as head of Bangladesh’s interim government after an uprising prompted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee to India.

The key tasks for Mr Yunus now are restoring peace in Bangladesh and preparing for new elections following weeks of violence in which student activists led an uprising against what was considered Ms Hasina’s increasingly autocratic 15-year rule.