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Asharq Al-Awsat
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Protests Grip Bangladesh as Pressure Mounts on Yunus-led Government
Primary school teachers in Bangladesh joined public sector workers in protests against the interim government on Monday amid growing discontent and political uncertainty in the South Asian country. Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, took over as interim head of the country of 173 million last August after deadly student-led protests forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, Reuters said. Yunus' administration has faced pressure from civil servants, teachers, political parties and the military as the caretaker government attempts to guide the country through a fragile transition before holding a general election. The government issued an ordinance on Sunday allowing the Ministry of Public Administration to dismiss public servants for misconduct without lengthy procedures, sparking outrage across the bureaucracy. Government employees continued their demonstrations for a third consecutive day on Monday, calling the ordinance "repressive" and demanding its immediate withdrawal. Thousands of teachers in government primary schools also began indefinite leave from work on Monday, demanding a hike in wages. In the face of protests by the employees of National Board of Revenue, the interim government was forced on Sunday to withdraw an order to dissolve the tax body and replace it with two divisions under the finance ministry. The strike was then called off. Political uncertainty also deepened last week after a top student leader said Yunus said he could step down if political parties cannot agree on reforms and an election timeline. Wahiduddin Mahmud, the planning adviser in Yunus' cabinet, however, said the de-facto prime minister was not quitting. "We are not going anywhere till our job is done," Mahmud said during the weekend, adding that Yunus acknowledged the obstacles but remained committed to holding a fair election. The interim government has been caught between competing demands for swift general elections and reforms. Yunus has said the elections could be held by June, 2026 while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been pushing for polls by December. Bangladesh's army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, added to the pressure by calling for elections to be held in December during a speech last week, expressing his dissatisfaction over the political situation. Yunus convened a last-minute meeting of his Advisory Council on Saturday and also held talks during the weekend with the country's main political forces, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the student-led National Citizen Party. Leaders of other political parties also met Yunus. "We are in a war-like situation," Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters on Sunday. "After the Awami League's activities were banned, attempts are on to destabilize us in various ways. We have to get out of this situation." The registration of Hasina's Awami League party was suspended this month, effectively barring the party from contesting the next election.
CNA
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Bangladesh's Yunus could quit over lack of reform progress, student leader says
DHAKA: Bangladesh's de-facto prime minister has threatened to step down if political parties cannot agree on reforms that citizens await with growing impatience, a top student leader has said, deepening uncertainty in the wake of deadly protests last year. Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, took over as interim head of the South Asian nation of 173 million last August after a student-led uprising forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. Nahid Islam, the head of the newly-formed National Citizen Party (NCP), which wants national elections held only after the completion of reforms, said Yunus was finding it difficult to work without the backing of political parties. "He was visibly upset," Islam told reporters after meeting the leader on Thursday (May 22). "He said if he cannot do the work he was asked to do - reform the system and prepare for fair elections - then he may have to leave. He feels trapped between demands from different political camps and growing public impatience." Yunus promised major reforms in various sectors after Hasina's exit, but a lack of progress and growing political disagreement have put his administration in a tight spot. "We told him clearly that people didn't rise up just to switch governments, but to change the system," said Islam, whose party emerged from last year's student-led protests. "Elections without reform will only take us back to the same problems." He gave no further details. With the interim government caught between competing demands for swift general elections and reforms, such a resignation could lead to further uncertainty. Yunus has said the elections could be delayed until 2026. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been pushing for polls by December. On Wednesday, BNP leaders said it would be "difficult" to continue supporting the interim government without a firm election plan. Responding to Islam's remarks, senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan called for official corroboration from Yunus' office, at a time when his government's credibility was at its lowest ebb. "I would rather say, the holy wish of the people of Bangladesh is a dignified exit of Dr Yunus (and his) also honouring the trust put by our people on him for organising a free and fair election at the earliest," he added. Adding to the pressure, Bangladesh's army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, also called for elections in December in a speech at Dhaka cantonment this week, expressing his dissatisfaction over the political situation. Last September, Zaman told Reuters in an interview that elections could be held within the next 18 months.
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Bangladesh's Yunus threatens to quit amid growing political uncertainty
DHAKA, May 23 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's de-facto prime minister has threatened to step down if political parties cannot agree on reforms that citizens await with growing impatience, a top student leader has said, deepening uncertainty in the wake of deadly protests last year. Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, took over as interim head of the South Asian nation of 173 million last August after a student-led uprising forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. Nahid Islam, the head of the newly-formed National Citizen Party (NCP), which wants national elections held only after the completion of reforms, said Yunus was finding it difficult to work without the backing of political parties. "He was visibly upset," Islam told reporters after meeting the leader on Thursday. "He said if he cannot do the work he was asked to do - reform the system and prepare for fair elections - then he may have to leave. He feels trapped between demands from different political camps and growing public impatience." Yunus promised major reforms in various sectors after Hasina's exit, but a lack of progress and growing political disagreement have put his administration in a tight spot. "We told him clearly that people didn't rise up just to switch governments, but to change the system," said Islam, whose party emerged from last year's student-led protests. "Elections without reform will only take us back to the same problems." He gave no further details. With the interim government caught between competing demands for swift general elections and reforms, such a resignation could lead to further uncertainty. Yunus has said the elections could be delayed until 2026. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been pushing for polls by December. On Wednesday, BNP leaders said it would be "difficult" to continue supporting the interim government without a firm election plan. Yunus' press wing and the BNP did not immediately respond to telephone calls and messages requesting comment. Adding to the pressure, Bangladesh's army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, also called for elections in December in a speech at Dhaka cantonment this week. The registration of Hasina's Awami League party was suspended this month, effectively barring the party from contesting the next elections.
