US, Aug. 5 -- When Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus was unexpectedly installed as interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh on August 8, 2024, it was a moment both unprecedented and fraught with risk. For many, it felt like a democratic anomaly - a celebrated economist thrust into the country's political cockpit amid street chaos, shattered institutions, and an imploding regime. One year later, Yunus's experiment in governance offers a mixed verdict: some institutional mending, mild economic stabilization, and diplomatic tightrope-walking - but also political paralysis, public impatience, and growing fears of a stalled transition.

A crisis that opened the door

The breakdown that enabled Yunus's elevation was years in the making. The Janua...