Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus described Bangladesh as a “free country” following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday after weeks of violent protests.

“We were an occupied country as long as she (Sheikh Hasina) was there. She was behaving like an occupation force, a dictator, a general, controlling everything. Today all the people of Bangladesh feel liberated,” Dr. Yunus told The Print in an interview.

Dr. Yunus, who has faced over 190 charges by the Awami League government, accused Hasina of destroying her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's legacy. He said the violence and vandalism by protesters were expressions of anger against Sheikh Hasina and “an expression of the damage she has done.”

He also expressed hope that the same students and young people will lead Bangladesh in the right direction in the future.

Student leaders call for interim government led by Dr. Yunus

Yunus explained that the seething anger against Sheikh Hasina could not be expressed politically due to a series of rigged general elections. “So that came out as a simple demand for quota changes. It immediately caught up because the government behaved the same way, attacking them rather than listening to them because they are not in a listening mood at all,” he told The Print.

Currently on bail, Yunus hopes to see significant changes once a fair general election is held in Bangladesh. He advised Bangladeshis to be wary of past mistakes and to adhere to democratic principles. "As long as we stick to that, you remain a strong country. We can be a beautiful country,” he added.

In an earlier development, Nahid Islam, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, announced in a late-night video message that Dr. Yunus has agreed to lead an interim government. The full list of proposed interim government members will be disclosed on Tuesday morning, he said.