The 85-year-old Yunus, who has led a technocratic government in Bangladesh since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced from power, left the post of "chief adviser" - de facto prime minister - on Monday.
"Let the exercise of democracy, freedom of expression and fundamental rights that has begun not come to an end," said Yunus - who in 2006 received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with microcredit for the vulnerable - in a live speech.
He was appointed to lead an interim government after protests in the summer of 2024 led to the former prime minister's flight; she later returned from self-imposed exile.
In elections earlier in February, the nationalist BNP won.
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