Elections, Reforms & Justice: Bangladesh’s Yunus Chairs Surprise Meet Amid Resignation Buzz

Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Saturday called an unscheduled meeting of the advisory council, where they discussed.

The key responsibilities of his administration amid growing differences with political parties and the Army. This came after Yunus reportedly offered to resign after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) staged protests calling for his removal, while tensions between his interim government and the military have risen. Bangladesh’s Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman urged on Wednesday that elections be held by December.

The meeting included detailed discussions on the three core responsibilities assigned to the interim government – elections, reform and justice – according to an official statement by the Advisory Council. It warned that if any activity disrupts the government’s independence, the judicial process and free and fair elections, it will move forward with decisions made in consultation with the people.

‘Unreasonable Demands, Unauthorised Statements’
The council extensively discussed how the performance of these responsibilities has been hindered by “unreasonable demands, intentional and unauthorised statements and activities”, which have disrupted the normal working environment and created confusion and doubt in the public mind, the council added.

The council said greater unity is essential to maintain stability in the country and advance the key responsibilities and promised to listen to the views of political parties and clarifying its own position.

“Despite facing numerous obstacles, the interim government continues to carry out its assigned duties, setting aside narrow group interests. However, if the responsibilities placed on the government are rendered impossible due to incitement by defeated forces or as part of foreign conspiracies, the government will present all reasons before the public and take necessary decisions accordingly,” it warned.

The Nobel laureate is expected to meet with the advisers before back-to-back meetings with the BNP, rivals of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, and the Jamaat-e-Islami. A BNP delegation would meet the chief advisers at 7:00 pm (local time) while Jamaat leaders would meet him at 8:00 pm, according to the chief adviser’s press wing.

Will Muhammed Yunus Resign?
Bangladesh is abuzz with intense speculation regarding the possible resignation of Yunus. Sources in Dhaka have informed News18 that Yunus has expressed his displeasure with continuing in the government.

Nahid Islam, Convenor of the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), met Yunus on Thursday evening at his official residence, where the chief advisor reportedly said he was mulling resignation as he felt “the situation is such that he cannot work”.

Islam told BBC Bangla that he had requested Yunus not to take a decision as big as resignation. Advisers of Yunus’ cabinet have also persuaded him to not relinquish the post.

Tensions within the interim administration have been mounting over the past few weeks. Notably, differences between Yunus and Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman have become increasingly evident, after the latter called for elections at the end of this year, while rejecting a proposed humanitarian corridor of aid to Myanmar.

According to sources, the Army Chief has accused the interim government of sidelining the military in key decisions, stating that many actions are being taken without proper consultation. He has also stressed the urgent need for an inclusive election, questioning how an unelected interim government could engage with powerful external actors and make major decisions without a public mandate.

Several senior BNP leaders, including Abdul Moyeen Khan and Salahuddin Ahmed, have also called for early elections and hoped Yunus would oversee a peaceful transition rather than resign abruptly. Jamaat-e-Islami also stressed that a fair election was the only way to restore public trust.

Matters worsened when thousands of BNP supporters staged a large-scale protest demanding an election at the earliest, putting pressure on Yunus. The party has also demanded the removal of the remaining student representatives from the cabinet.