Bangladesh's Yunus says will step down after polls
The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule.
Speaking in London, Yunus, asked if he himself was seeking any political post, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said there was "no way", waving his hands in the air for emphasis.
"I think none of our cabinet members would like to do that, not only me", he said.
Yunus was answering questions after speaking at London's foreign policy think tank Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
He also said he wanted to unveil a "big package" of proposals next month that he dubbed a "July Charter" - one year on since the students launched the demonstrations that toppled Hasina.
The aim of the package, he added, was to overhaul democratic institutions after Hasina's tenure.
"We want to say goodbye to the old Bangladesh and create a new Bangladesh", Yunus said.
The charter is being drafted by a government "consensus commission", talking to political parties to "find that which are the recommendations they will accept", he added.
Yunus has long said elections will be held before June 2026, but says the more time the interim administration had to enact reforms, the better.
But after political parties jostling for power repeatedly demanded he fix a timetable, he said earlier this month that elections would be held in April 2026.
"Our job is to make sure that the transition is managed well, and that people are happy when we hand over power to the elected government," he said.
"So we want to make sure that the election is right, that is a very critical factor for us. If the election is wrong, this thing will never be solved again".
Yunus is also expected to meet in London with Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely seen as likely to sweep the elections.
Rahman, 59, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has lived in London since 2008 after being sentenced in absentia under Hasina - convictions since quashed.
He is widely expected to return to Dhaka to lead the party in polls. - AFP
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The country was on the cusp of charting a new beginning last year after its former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from power in a student-led uprising, ending her 15-year rule and forcing her to flee to India. As the head of a new interim government, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus promised to hold a credible election to return to democracy, initiate electoral and constitutional reforms and restore peace on the streets after hundreds were killed in weeks of violence that began on July 15, 2024. A year later, the Yunus-led administration has struggled to contain the fallout of the uprising. Bangladesh finds itself mired in a growing political uncertainty, religious polarisation and a challenging law-and-order situation. Here's what to know about Bangladesh a year after the protests that toppled Hasina. Uncertainty about the future of democracy looms large in Bangladesh. 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The student-led party mostly follows the pattern of the Jamaat-e-Islami party. Kugelman says the issue of reforms was meant to unite the country, but has instead become a flashpoint. 'There's a divide between those that want to see through reforms and give them more time, and those that feel it's time to wrap things up and focus on elections,' he says. Human rights in Bangladesh have remained a serious concern under Yunus. Minority groups have blamed his administration for failing to protect them adequately. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council says minority Hindus and others have been targeted in hundreds of attacks over the last year. Hasina's party has also blamed the interim government for arresting tens of thousands of its supporters. The Yunus-led administration denies these allegations. Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, says while the interim government has stopped enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions that had occurred under the Hasina government, 'there has been little progress on lasting security sector reforms or to deliver on the pledge to create robust, independent institutions'. Meanwhile, Islamist factions – some of whom have proposed changes to women's rights and demanded introduction of Syariah law – are vying for power. Many of them are planning to build alliances with bigger parties like the BNP or the Jamaat-e-Islami. Such factions have historically struggled to gain significant electoral support despite Bangladesh being a Muslim majority, and their rise is expected to further fragment the country's political landscape. During Hasina's 15-year rule, Bangladesh was India's closest partner in South Asia. After her ouster, the Yunus-led administration has moved closer to China. Yunus' first state visit was to China in March, a trip that saw him secure investments, loans and grants. On the other hand, India is angered by the ousting of its old ally Hasina and hasn't responded to Dhaka's requests to extradite her. India stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshis following Hasina's fall. Globally, Yunus seems to have strong backing from the West and the United Nations, and it appears Bangladesh will continue its foreign policy, which has long tried to find a balance between multiple foreign powers. But Kugelman says the country's biggest challenge may be the 'Trump factor'. In January, the Trump administration suspended USAID funds to Bangladesh, which had sought significant levels of US support during a critical rebuild period post Hasina's ouster. 'Dhaka must now reframe its relations with an unconventional US administration that will largely view Bangladesh through a commercial lens,' Kugelman says. — AP
