TOKYO — At 84, micro-lending guru Prof. Muhamad Yunus has accumulated international tributes and media accolades galore, from the Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting grassroots community development to U.S. late-night talk show appearances — and even a cameo on “The Simpsons.”
In his latest guise as interim leader of Bangladesh since last August, however, he has garnered fierce criticism over his stewardship, which is spilling over into street protests. The task facing Yunus, a political independent, is to steer his country from the ruins of the regime of former leader Sheikh Hasina to new elections. Hasina fled to India after a wave of deadly student-led demonstrations and corruption allegations.
