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Time of India
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bangladesh: Yunus' exclusive talks with BNP leader irks two major allies
A meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Mumammad Yunus with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has irked two major allies of the interim government, the student-led NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Yunus returned to Bangladesh on Saturday ending his four-day London tour, which featured the meeting with Rahman, the acting chief of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). After the meeting with Rahman, BNP leader Amir Kharsu Mahmud Chowdhury and Yunus' security adviser Khalilur Rahman held a joint briefing and hinted that elections could be held in February next year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo Both Jamaat and National Citizen Party (NCP) have termed the meeting in London on Friday between Yunus and the BNP leader as his bias towards a particular party. BNP is the arch rival of the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina 's Awami League. In a statement on Saturday, Jamaat termed the joint press briefing by representatives of both Yunus and Rahman as a "breach of political norms" since the interim government chief particularly advanced the election time deviating from the deadline he announced last week in Dhaka. Live Events "Through this, he (Yunus) has expressed special affection for a party (BNP), which has undermined his impartiality," the statement said, adding that instead of announcing the new deadline on the foreign soil, he should have done it after consulting other parties on his return home. The NCP, which was launched in February, on Friday night said people would not accept any election date before the implementation of the proposed July Charter, referring to last year's violent student-led agitation that toppled Hasina's regime. Hasina fled to India on August 5 and three days later, Yunus assumed charge as the chief of the interim government. The NCP emerged as a political offshoot of Students Against Discrimination (SAD). The NCP said the Yunus-Rahman meeting laid more importance on the election deadline but the "people's main demand" in the post-Hasina regime "namely justice and reform, did not receive the same importance", adding "the NCP finds this very disappointing." The BNP, several other parties and the military had been mounting pressure on Yunus to conduct general elections by December. He, however, in a nationwide address last week, said the polls would be held in April next year. Yunus previously said the polls would be held in between December 2024 or June 2025 following the reforms and justice or the trial of the deposed regime leaders were completed. The Jamaat statement said it was "morally inappropriate" for Yunus as the head of the interim government to hold a joint press briefing with a single party and added that such actions raised doubts among people about fairness and neutrality of the upcoming election process. The statement came after a meeting of the party's Central Executive Council was held on Saturday morning. The NCP, on the other hand, said it repeatedly observed that the government is giving priority to the position and demands of "only one political party" on the election issue. "We believe that holding the National Assembly elections without a clear roadmap for the formulation of the 'July Proclamation', the implementation of the 'July Charter' and the implementation of the trial will turn the popular uprising into a mere transfer of power and will suppress the people's desire for state building," the NCP statement read. Yunus' interim government had disbanded Awami League until its leaders were exposed to punitive actions for what it claimed were their brutal actions to tame the uprising. Most Awami leaders were arrested, some went underground or fled abroad as the interim government initiated a process to try them, including Hasina, in Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on charges like crimes against humanity.
The Star
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Bangladesh's Yunus says will step down after polls
LONDON: Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus (pic) said Wednesday (June 11) that there was "no way" he wanted to continue in power after elections he has announced for April, the first since a mass uprising overthrew the government. 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
New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Wanted good relations, but something always went wrong': Yunus on India-Bangladesh ties
LONDON: Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that his interim government wanted good relations with India, but "something always went wrong." During an interaction with Chatham House think tank director Bronwen Maddox in London on Wednesday, Yunus addressed a wide range of issues including bilateral ties with India and the democratic roadmap for the country, starting with a 'July Charter' next month. Maddox referenced an informal diplomatic note issued to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition and sought an update on the matter. "This will continue. We want the whole process to be very legal, very proper. We want to build the best of relationship with India. It's our neighbour, we don't want to have any kind of basic problem with them," Yunus said. "But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press and many people say it has connections with policymakers on the top," he said. "So, this is what makes Bangladesh very jittery, very, very angry. We try to get over this anger but a whole barrage of things keeps happening in cyberspace. We can't just get away from that... suddenly they say something, do something, anger comes back," he said. "This is our big task, to make sure we can have at least a peaceful life to go on with our life. To create the life we are dreaming of," he added.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bangladesh wanted good ties with India, but 'something always went wrong': Yunus
Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that his interim government wanted good relations with India, but "something always went wrong". During an interaction with Chatham House think tank director Bronwen Maddox in London on Wednesday (June 11, 2025), Mr. Yunus addressed a wide range of issues including bilateral ties with India and the democratic roadmap for the country, starting with a 'July Charter' next month. Mr. Maddox referenced an informal diplomatic note issued to India seeking deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition and sought an update on the matter. 'This will continue… we want the whole process to be very legal, very proper… We want to build the best of relationship with India. It's our neighbour, we don't want to have any kind of basic problem with them,' Mr. Yunus said. 'But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press… and many people say it has connections with policymakers on the top," he said. "So, this is what makes Bangladesh very jittery, very, very angry. We try to get over this anger but a whole barrage of things keeps happening in cyberspace. We can't just get away from that… suddenly they say something, do something, anger comes back,' he said. 'This is our big task, to make sure we can have at least a peaceful life to go on with our life. To create the life we are dreaming of,' he added. On an audience question about the 'unclear role of India' about Ms. Hasina, Mr. Yunus responded: 'All the anger (against Hasina) has now transferred to India because she went there.' 'When I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I simply said: you want to host her, I cannot force you to abandon that policy. But please help us in making sure she doesn't speak to Bangladeshi people the way she is doing (online). She announces on such and such date, such and such hour, she will speak and the whole (of) Bangladesh gets very angry,' he said. Mr. Yunus claimed Prime Minister Modi told him that Ms. Hasina's social media activities cannot be controlled. 'It's (an) explosive situation, you can't just walk away by saying it's the social media,' he added. The close ties between India and Bangladesh came under strain after Ms. Hasina's ouster. She faces multiple cases in Bangladesh after being ousted on August 5 last year following a major student-led agitation in the country, which forced her to flee Dhaka. Mr. Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, who took over as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh in August last year, announced last week that national elections will be held by the first half of 2026. Asked if he would consider being part of the elected government, Mr. Yunus replied: 'No way.' He arrived on Tuesday for a four-day visit to the UK, where he was greeted with protests by Hasina's Awami League party members in the UK. He is expected to meet King Charles III and senior members of the British government during the visit.
The Print
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Bangladesh wanted good ties with India, but ‘something always went wrong': Yunus
Maddox referenced an informal diplomatic note issued to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition and sought an update on the matter. During an interaction with Chatham House think tank director Bronwen Maddox in London on Wednesday, Yunus addressed a wide range of issues including bilateral ties with India and the democratic roadmap for the country, starting with a 'July Charter' next month. London, Jun 12 (PTI) Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that his interim government wanted good relations with India, but 'something always went wrong'. 'This will continue… we want the whole process to be very legal, very proper… We want to build the best of relationship with India. It's our neighbour, we don't want to have any kind of basic problem with them,' Yunus said. 'But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press… and many people say it has connections with policymakers on the top,' he said. 'So, this is what makes Bangladesh very jittery, very, very angry. We try to get over this anger but a whole barrage of things keeps happening in cyberspace. We can't just get away from that… suddenly they say something, do something, anger comes back,' he said. 'This is our big task, to make sure we can have at least a peaceful life to go on with our life. To create the life we are dreaming of,' he added. On an audience question about the 'unclear role of India' about Hasina, Yunus responded: 'All the anger (against Hasina) has now transferred to India because she went there.' 'When I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I simply said: you want to host her, I cannot force you to abandon that policy. But please help us in making sure she doesn't speak to Bangladeshi people the way she is doing (online). She announces on such and such date, such and such hour, she will speak and the whole (of) Bangladesh gets very angry,' he said. Yunus claimed Prime Minister Modi told him that Hasina's social media activities cannot be controlled. 'It's (an) explosive situation, you can't just walk away by saying it's the social media,' he added. The close ties between India and Bangladesh came under strain after Hasina's ouster. She faces multiple cases in Bangladesh after being ousted on August 5 last year following a major student-led agitation in the country, which forced her to flee Dhaka. Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, who took over as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh in August last year, announced last week that national elections will be held by the first half of 2026. Asked if he would consider being part of the elected government, Yunus replied: 'No way.' He arrived on Tuesday for a four-day visit to the UK, where he was greeted with protests by Hasina's Awami League party members in the UK. He is expected to meet King Charles III and senior members of the British government during the visit. PTI AK GRS GRS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
