Monday, May 26, 2025
March for Yunus by Islamists After Yunus offered to Resign due to Differences Among Political Parties
By New Age Islam Staff Writer
24 May 2025
BNP Said They Do Not Want Yuns’ Resignation.
Main Points;
1. Army Chief Waqaruzzaman's disclosed attempt to his assassination.
2. Waqar criticised Yunus' decision on foreign affairs.
3. BNP wants early elections.
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(Md. Yunus)/ Photo: From Files)
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As the confrontation between Muhammad Yunus led interim government and the Army reached a crescendo on 21st May, Muhammad Yunus threatened or offered to resign as the chief advisor to the interim government and leave Bangladesh. The reason for his disillusionment with the government, according to him, was that all the political parties are not united and he does not find the atmosphere conducive to perform. He says he feels like a prisoner and does not have freedom to work. He himself told a TV news channel that on the 12th of May, a group of protestors had barged in his office, creating panic among the staff. Textile workers and other labour organisations have been holding rallies and protest continuously in Dhaka as the economic condition has worsened. During the last nine months, Muhammad Yunus led interim government has failed to fulfil its objectives. This has resulted in his frustration. The student leader Nahid Islam had met Muhammad Yunus and later told the media that he wanted to resign. This caused anxiety among the political circles of Bangladesh, particularly in anti-Hasina lobby that feared that if Yunus resigns, the Army will take over. Therefore, different political parties including Jamat Islami said they did not want his resignation. The Islamic parties including the NCP organised a "March for Yunus" rally after the Friday prayers in Dhaka on 23rd May and protested against the 'Indian aggression'. Some advisors of the Yunus government came out in Muhammad Yuns’ defence and clarified that he was not going to resign. The Forest & Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan told the media that the differences among the political parties and continuous protests and blockades in Dhaka by different organisations has made governance difficult. Therefore, the advisors were discussing their
future course of action in the present circumstances. However, Muhammad Yunus has not made any statement about his rethink on resignation.
Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the Chief advisor to the interim government with the backing of the Joe Biden administration and Pakistan and was supposed to implement their anti-India agenda which were initially achieved amid the chaos and anarchy that ensued after 5 August, 2024. But as times passed by and the political parties and the people realised that Muhammad Yunus has not been able to present any roadmap for change and reforms and has only gave space to extremist groups and terrorists, they started opposing him and demanding early elections. The BNP- Jamat alliance also demanded early elections. The army chief Waqaruzzaman also conveyed his view that the interim government should hold elections as soon as possible to restore normalcy and democratic process but some foreign powers especially Pakistan did not want elections because a democratically elected government may not play to their tunes and their objectives will remain unachieved. The so called revolution was orchestrated well in advance for the purpose of ousting Hasina government to alter Bangladesh 's pro - India foreign policy and to avenge the war tribunal sentences to the war criminals of 1971.
On the one hand, the BNP and the Army chief Waqaruzzaman pressurised Muhammad Yunus to announce the dates for elections, the NCP leader Nahid Islam backed by Pakistan lobby opposed early elections and stressed on bringing constitutional reforms before going to elections. This tussle made Yunus threaten to resign on the 21st of May. Nahid tried to persuade Yunus not to resign but the media reports suggest he has made the final decision to quit and the resignation letters of some other advisors were also ready. Muhammad Yunus wanted to address the nation before putting in his papers and the draft of his good bye speech had also been prepared but for now, his resignation has been put on hold.
The situation worsened after a journalist Nabonita Chowdhury claimed on 31st May 2025, that some associates of Muhammad Yunus had hired a foreign assassin to assassinate Waqaruzzaman. Other media reports claimed that the assassin had entered Bangladesh via Myanmar. The army chief himself disclosed this assassination plot to the army officers during a meeting. He also reiterated his demand that Muhammad Yunus announce elections before 30 December. He also criticised Muhammad Yunus for taking decisions on foreign affairs. For example, the expansion of Chittagong Port, opening of Rakhine Corridor for the US and the revival of Lalmonir Hat air base with the help of China have not been approved by the Army and Waqaruzzaman has registered his strong objection to these projects. Moreover, the ban on Shaikh Hasina's party Awami League by the interim government also intensified the rift between Muhammad Yunus and Waqaruzaman as the latter had opposed it. Soon after the imposition of the ban, 193 cases had been filed against Sheikh Hasina and his party leaders in Tangail, Bangladesh but all the cases were withdrawn within 48 hours perhaps under army's pressure. This has antagonised the Pakistan lobby who are baying for his blood.
All these developments caused a showdown between Muhammad Yunus and Waqaruzzaman. The army was deployed in Dhaka and Army reportedly started surveillance of government offices. All this has caused panic in the interim government including Muhammad Yunus.
Some insiders also say that the Pakistan lobby wants to remove Waqaruzzaman because he is pro-India and pro-Hasina. The lobby wants Waqaruzzaman to leave Bangladesh and take asylum in Canada. He will be offered a safe passage and money for that or will be toppled, arrested and executed. There have been attempts at coup against him eelier this year when he had been on his visit to South Africa.
However, the support of the Islamists to Muhammad Yunus has once again made it clear that his continuance as the head of the government is to their advantage. The BNP said that they do not want the resignation of the Yunus but only early elections. The BNP only wants the resignation of two student leaders and the National Security Advisor because of their controversial character.
In the event of the resignation of Muhammad Yunus, the Army led by Waqaruzzaman will take over. A section of the masses have already expressed their wish through social media that the army should take over as only the army can restore peace and order in the country. The anti-Hasina lobby and political parties will oppose the army but the army chief has already made it clear that he does not have any political ambitions. Therefore, after removing the interim government, the army will announce elections and hold elections under its supervision. As the army is of the view that without Seami League in fray, no inclusive elections are possible, all the political parties know that if the elections are held under the army, Awami League may come to power again. Therefore, they want elections under the Yunus government which has banned Awami League.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Nahid Islam and other advisors are of the view that reforms should be brought before elections while the BNP demands that elections should be held first. An interim government does not have the power to amend the constitution. Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that their are three main agenda before the interim government: One, the reforms, two, trials of the massacre of July meaning death sentence to Sheikh Hasina and, three, elections. She said that elections will be held by June 2026. This has caused confrontation between the BNP and the interim government as the former wants elections by December.
In short, the next couple of days may prove critical and decisive for Bangladesh as well as for the Army Chief Waqaruzzaman as he has much in stake in these turbulent times.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/march-yunus-islamists-political-parties/d/135651
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