&w=3840&q=100)
Countdown for Yunus? Bangladesh Army chief not ready to wait until June for election decision: Report
Sources say Zaman is exploring various strategies, including exploiting constitutional ambiguities, to undermine Yunus' interim administration read more
Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman gestures during an interview with Reuters at his office in the Bangladesh Army Headquarters, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, September 23, 2024. File Photo/Reuters
Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman is resolved to pursue all measures to depose Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, according to senior intelligence sources who spoke with CNN-News18.
In addition to public announcements indicating this goal, the military has demonstrated its presence by attending high-profile officer meetings. According to insiders, the army chief is not convinced by the idea of waiting until June for elections.
Sources say Zaman is exploring various strategies, including exploiting constitutional ambiguities, to undermine Yunus' interim administration.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Intelligence sources note that the legal basis of the interim government is unstable, as Bangladesh's constitution requires elections to be held within 90 days of a government's dissolution.
Reports suggest that Zaman intends to bring together the parties of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to contest the national elections. If he fails to wrest control from Yunus, insiders claim he favours a quiet takeover of Bangladeshi politics to manage the situation temporarily.
The military reportedly believes that delaying elections violates constitutional principles and could pressure President Mohammed Shahabuddin to declare a state of emergency.
In such a scenario, the President may be urged to dissolve the interim administration and call elections sooner.
Article 58 of the Bangladesh Constitution authorises the President to exercise emergency powers if the constitutional machinery breaks down.
The army is said to be urging Shahabuddin to invoke this clause and bypass Yunus' authority.
General Zaman is focused on maintaining military unity and safeguarding national sovereignty, portraying Yunus' proposals—such as the planned Rakhine corridor and increased foreign involvement—as threats to national stability.
Zaman has reportedly solidified his influence by securing support from the navy and air force chiefs. He is also ramping up public pressure on Yunus and may soon call for early elections.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
India Helping Auto Industry Meet Chinese Officials On Rare Earth Export Ban: Sources
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The Indian government is facilitating discussions between auto companies and China's commerce ministry due to China's export ban on rare earth magnets. India plans to develop its own magnet policy and domestic manufacturing, but it may take time. New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office and the Indian embassy in China are helping Indian auto companies to hold a meeting with the Chinese commerce ministry in Beijing amid the neighbouring country's ban on export of rare earth magnets, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. China controls 90 per cent of the processing of such magnets, also used in industries such as clean energy and defence, apart from the automotive industry. India's three ministries - Heavy Industries, External Affairs, and Industry and Commerce - are involved in the discussions, people familiar with the matter said. A 50-member delegation of representatives from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), and Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) planned to visit China this week, but that did not work out. India is likely to consider having a proper rare earth magnet policy of its own to avoid the risk of getting caught in such a situation again, but that would take two-three years. There has been no import of rare earth magnets from China and no new licence has been issued since April 4, the day China announced its export ban. India is looking to develop domestic manufacturing capabilities and is considering offering production-based fiscal incentives to companies, news agency Reuters reported quoting two unnamed sources. The scheme, being drafted by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, also envisions partly funding the difference between the final price of the homegrown magnet and the cost of the Chinese imports. This would help achieve cost parity and boost local demand, Reuters reported, adding that funding for the scheme has yet to be decided, with the government likely to meet industry officials next week to finalise the details. The government company IREL (India) Ltd has been mining rare earth material for years, which are mainly used by atomic energy and defence units, with most supplies for other uses still imported from China. In Japan, Suzuki Motor has suspended production of its Swift car because of China's curbs.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
France Wants India To Put Pressure On Russia To End Ukraine War. Where Does New Delhi Stand?
Last Updated: France's Emmanuel Macron called on India, China and Brazil to pressure Russia into ending the current war in Ukraine. India has repeatedly advocated for dialogue and diplomacy. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a joint statement with his Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva in Paris, called for India, Brazil and China to pressure Russia into ending the current war in Ukraine, emphasising the need for a clear and direct approach to halt the conflict. 'Americans, Brazilians, Chinese, Indians, we must all put pressure on Russia to end this war so that this conflict can be negotiated and the war does not return," Macron said in his appeal to the international community. Macron accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of starting the war and of not wanting a ceasefire, while highlighting that a ceasefire proposal by the United States was accepted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. India has adopted a position advocating for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasising that dialogue and diplomacy among all parties are the key to achieving a definitive end to the hostilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India has never been neutral but firmly stands for peace. India has a strategic partnership with Russia that dates back to Indo-Soviet relations, and India heavily relies on Russian military exports for its defence needs. Since the invasion in 2022, India has not publicly condemned Russia despite Western pressure, although it has criticised some controversial statements made by Russian leaders or catastrophic strikes in Ukraine. After Western sanctions were imposed on Russia following the war, India's oil imports from Russia more than doubled at lowered prices. According to Reuters, India had already received 34 million barrels of oil from Russia when the war broke out in 2022, in comparison to 16 million barrels in all of 2021. PM Modi is among only a handful of world leaders who visited both Russia and Ukraine last year. He was the first Indian leader to visit war-torn Ukraine since 1991. Modi reaffirmed India's stance emphasising dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward, urging both sides to hold talks. Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Talks Amid widespread bombings from both sides, Russian and Ukrainian leaders held the second round of US-brokered talks in Turkey this week, agreeing to a prisoner exchange. However, Russia refused to agree to an unconditional ceasefire, while demanding international recognition of Crimea, Donbass, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as Russian territory. Putin on Wednesday appeared to rule out any full ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Kyiv would use any pause in fighting to rearm. He also accused Ukraine of carrying out 'terrorist" attacks on bridges near the border over the weekend, as per reports. During a phone call with US President Donald Trump, Putin said Moscow felt compelled to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attacks on Russian airfields, indicating that the war is unlikely to see an end in the near future. First Published: June 05, 2025, 19:33 IST
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
India Plans Rare Earth Magnet Incentives As Supply Threat Mounts: Report
New Delhi: India is holding talks with companies to establish long-term stockpiles of rare earth magnets by offering fiscal incentives for domestic production, people familiar with the matter said. Building such a supply chain could take years, but would reduce India's dependence on shipments from China, which sent shockwaves across global industries, particularly autos, with its April 4 move to curb exports of rare earth materials. China controls 90% of the processing of such magnets, also used in industries such as clean energy and defence. Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government wants to develop domestic manufacturing capabilities and is considering offering production-based fiscal incentives to companies, said two sources who sought anonymity as the talks are private. The scheme, being drafted by the ministry of heavy industries, also envisions partly funding the difference between the final price of the made-in-India magnet and the cost of the Chinese imports, the first source said. This would help achieve cost parity and boost local demand, the source said, adding that funding for the scheme has yet to be decided, with the government likely to meet industry officials next week to finalise the details. The heavy industries ministry did not respond to Reuters' queries. Although a state-run firm, IREL, has been mining rare earth materials for years, these are mainly used by the atomic energy and defence units, with most supplies for other uses still imported from China. India's move comes as auto companies the world over flag risks that they could face supply disruptions within days. In Japan, Suzuki Motor, has suspended production of its Swift car because of China's curbs. In India, auto industry body SIAM has privately told the government it expects production "to come to a grinding halt" within a timeframe starting from the end of May or early June. The heavy industries ministry also plans to send a delegation of auto industry executives to meet officials in Beijing to push for faster approvals, with two industry officials warning that was the only near-term solution. "The short-term solution has to be to get Chinese authorities to clear things," said one of the executives, who fears shortages at his company. "A radical shift in supply chain is not possible in the short term." Some auto companies and their suppliers will be able to stretch operations until the end of June, after which the situation will turn "really scary", said the second executive, adding it would affect not just electric cars but all vehicles. India has the world's third-largest reserves of rare earths of 6.9 million tons, the U.S. Geological Survey says, but only mines a fraction because private companies make limited investments. A government campaign launched in April, the National Critical Mineral Mission, aims to attain self-reliance in the sector. In recent years, it has begun exploration for neodymium, a rare earth widely used in magnets for the auto industry. India also exports neodymium to Japan for lack of domestic processing capability, two of the sources said. Commercially available export data showed India exported nearly $7 million worth of the rare earth material to Toyota Tsusho between January and April. This week, PM Modi's office discussed the impact of the magnet crisis on the small but fast-growing EV sector, to which investors have committed billions of dollars, a person familiar with the talks said. It also weighed the possibility of tariff exemptions for imports of machines required by domestic manufacturers, the source said, adding, "The government is looking into it critically. They are serious."
