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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Is Bangladesh slipping into authoritarianism?
On June 7, on the eve of Eid ul Azha, the Chief Adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, delivered a televised address to the nation, promising to hold elections in April 2026. He also announced that the country would witness the launch of the 'July Proclamation', which had been earlier planned by student activists to 'bury' the Constitution of Bangladesh, as it is linked to the founder of Bangladesh and Awami League co-founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Prof. Yunus said that the document will 'include a list of reform proposals, agreed upon by all parties, aimed at building a welfare-oriented state.' As the interim government of Bangladesh has announced that there could be constitutional reforms, there are concerns that the country is slipping into authoritarianism. Is Bangladesh slipping into authoritarianism? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Smruti S. Pattanaik, Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses; Sanjay Pulipaka, Chairperson of the Politeia Research Foundation Host: Kallol Bhattacherjee Audio edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian You can now find The Hindu's podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@
The Print
13 hours ago
- The Print
Mamata writes to Modi, seeks international pressure on B'desh govt for vandalism of Tagore property
Expressing her anguish over the incident, Banerjee urged Modi to 'take up the matter very strongly with the neighbouring country's government, so that no stone is left unturned to swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous and mindless act'. What was damaged is not just a house but a 'towering fountain of creativity' in the subcontinent, she said in the letter. Kolkata, Jun 12 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention into the alleged vandalisation of Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral mansion in Banglaesh's Sirajganj district by a mob on June 11. According to local reports, the attack on the Nobel Laureate poet's ancestral residence was a follow-up of a June 8 dispute over the parking fee for a two-wheeler between a visitor and staff member of the Rabindra Kachharibari in Sirajganj which also doubles up as the Rabindra Memorial Museum. 'Although untold damage has already been done, a strong international protest would at least deter in future any attack on monuments of cultural legacies that have withstood steadfastly all tests of time,' Banerjee wrote in the letter, while adding: Tagore is famous not only in Bengal but also in the whole world. Reports in Bangladeshi media have stated that the Department of Archeology has temporarily suspended visitor access to the building and set up a three-member committee to probe the incident. 'Tagore frequented the place repeatedly in his lifetime, and many of his finest works were conceived or written while he was there,' Banerjee stated. 'The poet's creativity was intertwined with his association with this ancestral estate of theirs in an intimate manner. What has been vandalised is not a mere house, but a towering fountain of creativity in our subcontinent,' she continued. Local reports in Bangladesh suggested that what began as a minor dispute escalated quickly after the visitor was allegedly locked inside a room and physically assaulted, sparking anger among locals. A mob later stormed inside the museum premises and ransacked the building, especially its auditorium while also allegedly assaulting the director of the institution. 'For the people of Bengal, this attack is an onslaught on the commonly held legacy of Tagore… To strike at the ancestral traditional roots of Tagore today tantamounts to striking at the roots of immortal creations of the great poet intrinsically bonding the brothers and sisters of the world,' the chief minister wrote in her letter. Located in Shahzadpur in the Rajshahi division, the Kachharibari served as the Tagore family's revenue office and residence. Purchased by Rabindranath's grandfather Dwarakanath Tagore in 1840, the premises worked as a favourite recluse for the Nobel laureate who wrote many of his notable literary works at this site. Tagore's celebrated works from the Sirajgunj Kachharibari include plays like 'Bisarjan', poetry collection 'Sonar Tori' and several shorties of 'Golpoguchho'. The BJP has already slammed the Md Yunus government alleging that the destruction was a 'preplanned attack' by radical groups, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. PTI SMY NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- The Hindu
India condemns vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh
India on Thursday (June 12, 2025) 'strongly' condemned the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. Addressing the weekly press briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said the attack was part of a 'broad pattern' of assaults on the pluralist culture of Bangladesh. 'We strongly condemn the despicable attack and vandalisation of the ancestral home of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore by a mob on June 8, 2025. The home, historically called Rabindra Kachharibari, is located in Sirajganj district of Bangladesh. The violent act is a disgrace to the memory and the inclusive philosophy and teachings that the Nobel Laureate espoused in Bangladesh,' Mr. Jaiswal said. Bangladesh has witnessed a deterioration in law and order in recent month, with mobs targeting homes of prominent leaders. On February 5 this year, a mob destroyed the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at 32 Dhanmondi, an address historically associated with Bangladesh's liberation movement. The June 8 attack on the rural ancestral home of the Tagore family reportedly followed a similar pattern, with a group of arsonists vandalising the property. Following the incident, the interim government has suspended public access to the heritage site. After its independence, Bangladesh adopted 'Amar Shonar Bangla', composed by Rabindranath Tagore, as its national anthem. Mr. Jaiswal further said, 'The attack falls in the broad pattern of systematic attempts by extremists to erase the symbols of tolerance, and eviscerate the syncretic culture and the cultural legacy of Bangladesh.' He urged the Bangladeshi authorities to rein in extremist elements and 'take strict action against the perpetrators to prevent recurrence of such incidents that sadly have become a repetitive feature'.
