Why Is Muhammad Yunus Threatening To Resign? What Does This Mean For Bangladesh?

News18

25-05-2025

Last Updated:
Muhammad Yunus has reportedly told advisers what was the point of being the chief advisor if he cannot function properly amidst friction with army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman
A closed-door meeting between Bangladesh's interim leader and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus and the chiefs of the country's armed forces has been described as an intensifying power struggle in Dhaka.
Bangladeshi media reports suggest that a 'cold war" between Yunus and the armed forces have begun, which threaten the future of the chief advisor. Yunus took charge after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted after a mass uprising in August 2024.
In fact, there are reports that Yunus is considering stepping down. However, following another cabinet meeting on May 24, acting head of the planning ministry, Wahiduddin Mahmud, told media, that Yunus is 'staying with us".
Let us understand the current political crisis in Bangladesh and what it would mean for the country's so-called democracy.
Why Is Yunus Threatening To Resign?
A Bangladeshi newspaper, 'Prothom Alo', reported that Yunus told advisers in the meeting 'what is the point of being the chief advisor if he cannot function properly?"
Following this, National Citizens Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam, who until recently was a part of Yunus' Cabinet, met with him at his official residence. 'We have been hearing news of Sir's (Yunus) resignation… He (Yunus) said he is thinking about it. He feels that the situation is such that he cannot work," Islam told the BBC Bangla after the meeting.
Since the ouster of Hasina, the Bangladesh Army has remained in control of the country. Their continued presence was necessitated by the collapse of law and order during the mass protests, including a nationwide police strike that left many stations abandoned and public order in disarray.
Though the police resumed operations in mid-August, the army remained active as part of civil-miltiary consensus.
Last week, Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman urged that the elections be held in December this year, warning that prolonged deployment of the army for civil duties could hamper country's defence.
The Daily Star reported that General Zaman told a high-level gathering at Dhaka Cantonment that Bangladesh needs 'political stability", which would be only possible 'through an elected government, not by unelected decision-makers." Officers from across the country and at Bangladeshi UN missions reportedly joined the event – a show of unity and resolve.
But Yunus has promised that polls will be held by June 2026.
Meanwhile, a proposed humanitarian corridor into Myanmar's Rakhine State has also become a bone of contention between Yunus and the military. Zaman has reportedly opposed to key initiative, and said: 'There will be no corridor. The sovereignty of Bangladesh is not negotiable." He warned that any such move could drag Bangladesh into a dangerous proxy conflict. 'Only a political government elected by the people can make such decisions," he said, as quoted by The Daily Star.
The army chief has also raised concern regarding the potential foreign management of Bangladesh's main seaport, Chittagong Port, and the launch of Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet service, which he said could compromise national security.
Another sticking point between Yunus and Zaman is the appointment of former diplomat Khalilur Rahman, as Bangladesh's National Security Adviser, a position created by Yunus to offset the military's control of security matters.
Tension With Political Parties?
The supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, has demanded that Yunus fixes an election date, preferably in December.
'If the government fails to meet public expectations, it will be difficult for the BNP to continue extending its support," senior BNP leader Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain said.
The National Citizen Party (NCP) – a student-led party formed earlier this year – and several other political groups argue that sweeping reforms and the prosecution of former Awami League (AL) leaders must precede any election.
Meanwhile, the BNP has launched protests and other demands including declaring its candidate Ishraque Hossain as the rightful winner of the disputed 2020 mayoral polls. It was alleged that the polls on February 1, 2020 were rigged by Sheikh Hasina's Awami League.
BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, however, told Al Jazeera that his party never wanted Yunus to resign. 'Nobody asked for his resignation, and we do not want him to do so," he stated.
What Next For Bangladesh?
Political analyst Rezaul Karim Rony told Al Jazeera that Yunus resignation reflect the weakening of unity that was formed around the post-uprising.
NCP's Nahid Islam, however, believes there is a conspiracy to 'sabotage the democratic transition and stage another 1/11-style arrangement."
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On January 11, 2007, the military-backed caretaker government took control of Bangladesh amid political chaos and ruled for two years, suspending democratic processes.
It's time to see whether Muhammad Yunus can stand firm and forge a new consensus to lead Bangladesh through its second transition or he will quit.
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News explainers Why Is Muhammad Yunus Threatening To Resign? What Does This Mean For Bangladesh?