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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
News18
12-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Muhammad Yunus Says He Discussed Sheikh Hasina With PM Modi: 'You Want To Host Her?'
Last Updated: Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, fled to India after she was ousted by a student-led uprising in August 2024. Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, slammed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's public statements from Indian soil, claiming that he personally urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and prevent her from addressing Bangladeshis online. During an interaction at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Yunus talked about the volatile political atmosphere in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina fled the country. He further pointed towards the Bangladesh's strained ties with India and said, 'The whole anger and everything is now transferred to India, because she went there. Not only is she living there, but the problem is, when I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I just 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'." According to Yunus, Hasina continues to address the Bangladeshi people through social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, often announcing these broadcasts in advance. Referring to Hasina's addresses, Yunus said this provokes public anger in Bangladesh, creating an atmosphere of unrest. Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, fled to India after she was ousted by a student-led uprising in August 2024. First Published: June 12, 2025, 11:15 IST
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Not interested in being part of Bangladesh's next elected government: Yunus
Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) said he would not be interested in being part of the next elected government, according to a media report. The 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, who took over as the head of the interim government in August last year after the ouster of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, announced last week that national elections will be held by the first half of April 2026. Mr. Yunus, during a question-and-answer session at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in Chatham House, London, said that the interim government's job was to ensure a well-managed transition to hand over power to an elected government, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported. "No way, no way. I think no one of our cabinet members (Council of Advisers) would like to do that," he said, responding to a question whether he has any desire to become part of the next democratically elected government. "We want to make sure that the election is right. This is a very critical factor for us," he said. On Hasina's Awami League Replying to another question about Ms. Hasina's Awami League, Mr. Yunus said there is a debate over whether the party can truly be called a political party when it is accused of killing young people, making citizens disappear and stealing public money. Ousted on August 5 last year after a massive student-led agitation, Ms. Hasina faces multiple cases in Bangladesh. Mr. Yunus, who is in the UK from June 10-13, will meet King Charles and Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his visit. Earlier, former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said people are "disappointed" by Mr. Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year.
NDTV
12-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Can't Just Walk Away": Bangladesh's Yunus' Sheikh Hasina Chat With PM Modi
New Delhi: Bangladesh's interim leader, Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, issued a rebuke of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's public statements from Indian soil, claiming that he personally urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and prevent her from addressing Bangladeshis online. In remarks delivered during an interaction at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Mr Yunus described a volatile political atmosphere in post-Hasina Bangladesh and expressed frustration over what he suggests to be Delhi's indifference to the destabilising impact of her continued communications. "The whole anger and everything is now transferred to India, because she went there. Not only is she living there, but the problem is, when I had a chance to talk to Prime Minister Modi, I just 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'," Mr Yunus said. According to Mr Yunus, Ms Hasina, who fled to India after being ousted by a student-led uprising in August 2024, continues to issue addresses to Bangladeshis through social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, often announcing these broadcasts in advance. These, Mr Yunus said, provoke public anger and risk inciting unrest in Bangladesh. "She announces on such and such day at such and such hour, she will speak, and the whole of Bangladesh gets very angry, the way she is speaking. Why is she keeping this whole anger thing inside of us now? And is India doing what you asked? No. Mr Modi's answer, I quote, he said, 'It's the social media, we cannot control it'," Mr Yunus claimed. "What can you say? It's an explosive situation. You can't just walk away by saying it's social media. So this is what is still going on," he added. Diplomatic Strain The interim leader also disclosed that an informal, unsigned diplomatic note had been submitted to Indian authorities requesting Ms Hasina's extradition. India has acknowledged receiving the document, but there has been no concrete movement so far. "We want it to be very legal, very proper. We want to make sure that we don't do something out of anger or something. We want to build the best relationship with India. It's our neighbour. We don't want to have any kind of problem with them," Mr Yunus said. "But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press," the interim leader claimed. "And many people say it has connections with the policymakers at the top and so on. So this is what makes Bangladesh very jittery, very, very angry." Mr Yunus added that Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal has initiated legal proceedings against Ms Hasina for what the tribunal described as crimes against humanity committed during her final months in power. He confirmed that notices have been served to Ms Hasina as part of a larger process that could eventually involve Interpol. Mr Yunus claimed the barrage of disinformation on social media continues to undermine efforts to stabilise the country and recover from last year's violent uprising that unseated Hasina. Mr Yunus, now 84, reiterated that he has no interest in joining the next elected government, nor do any members of his current cabinet of advisers. The interim government was formed in the wake of Ms Hasina's ousting on August 5 last year, following a mass uprising led by students. Hundreds were reported killed in a brutal crackdown ordered by Ms Hasina's administration, prompting a wave of defections, resignations, and arrests. Ms Hasina's Awami League was disbanded shortly afterwards. Mr Yunus returned from Paris to Dhaka on August 8 to take charge as the head of the interim administration. Since then, several of the student leaders have formed the National Citizen Party (NCP) with the interim government's blessing. The interim government has initiated trials against several former Awami League leaders, both inside and outside the country. These proceedings, largely framed under "crimes against humanity" and abuses during the July-August 2024 crackdown, are ongoing at the International Crimes Tribunal.
NDTV
12-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"No Way": Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus Says He Won't Be Part Of Next Government
Dhaka: Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said he would not be interested in being part of the next elected government, according to a media report. The 84-year-old Nobel Laureate, who took over as the head of the interim government in August last year after the ouster of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, announced last week that national elections will be held by the first half of April 2026. Yunus, during a question-and-answer session at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in Chatham House, London, said that the interim government's job was to ensure a well-managed transition to hand over power to an elected government, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported. "No way, no way. I think no one of our cabinet members (Council of Advisers) would like to do that," he said, responding to a question whether he has any desire to become part of the next democratically elected government. "We want to make sure that the election is right. This is a very critical factor for us," he said. Replying to another question about Hasina's Awami League, Yunus said there is a debate over whether the party can truly be called a political party when it is accused of killing young people, making citizens disappear and stealing public money. Ousted on August 5 last year after a massive student-led agitation, Hasina faces multiple cases in Bangladesh. Yunus, who is in the UK from June 10-13, will meet King Charles and Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his visit. Earlier, former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said people are "disappointed" by Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year.
