Latest news with #JulyDeclaration
The Star
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Yunus expresses hope for presenting the July Charter in Bangladesh next month
The students who led and participated in the July Uprising in Bangladesh have announced plans to issue a July Declaration. - Reuters DHAKA: Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday (June 6) expressed the hope that the government will be able to prepare a comprehensive 'July Charter', based on the consensus of all political parties, and present it to the nation next month. "The students who led and participated in the July Uprising have announced plans to issue a July Declaration. They invited me to be part of it. I suggested that it would be more meaningful if the declaration is issued jointly by all political leaders, representatives of civil society and others," he said in a televised address to the nation in the evening. He emphasised that the July Charter would serve as a unified national commitment, reflecting the shared vision of political forces and the proposals recommended by the reform commissions. "This charter is a promise," he said, adding, "It will include a list of reform proposals, agreed upon by all parties, aimed at building a welfare-oriented state. By signing it, the parties will pledge to implement these reforms." Prof Yunus reiterated the government's commitment to initiating and carrying forward the necessary reforms outlined in the charter. "We are committed to implementing the urgent reforms as per the July Charter," he stated. "We also intend to begin work on other key initiatives, which we hope the elected government will carry forward." Highlighting the significance of national unity and reform, he said they must move forward with resolve and unity. There is no alternative. "Through implementation of the charter, we will present a new, cohesive image of Bangladesh to the world – one that reflects our strength and solidarity as a nation." He also lauded the establishment of the Consensus Commission, calling it a courageous and unprecedented initiative. "No other country has seen such a model. Through this, we have discovered new political depth as a nation," he said. Prof Yunus praised the intensive engagement of all political parties with the commission. "Their group-wise preparations, lengthy and intense discussions aired live on national television-and unwavering efforts to achieve consensus will remain a landmark moment in our political history," he noted. "On behalf of the nation, I thank all political parties for their patience, cooperation, and courtesy. I hope they will soon finalise their remaining work and present a complete July Charter that sets a lasting direction for the country." - The Daily Star/ANN
India Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Bangladesh election: Is Yunus just buying time amid political pressure?
Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, on Friday addressed the nation and declared that elections would be held in the first half of April 2026. The announcement runs counter to the demands of polls in December by a host of parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is the frontrunner to win the election. The situation of uncertainty in Bangladesh improves just marginally with Yunus' the Communist Party of Bangladesh insisted on polls in December, the student-led National Citizens Party (NCP) said it was fine with polls in April if effective steps were taken to implement the July Charter, July Declaration and reforms by then, according to reports by Dhaka-based Prothom declaring that the election would be held in April, Yunus didn't provide any specific dates. Revealing that he wasn't really prepared, no details or schedule were provided as to how the administration plans to utilise the months in the run-up to the election in April. "There is a possibility that Yunus might not be able to conduct the election in a very free and fair way due to the given political circumstances. In that case, the country will be in a big dark circle," Dhaka-based activist academic Rezaur Rahman Lenin told India Today he took over as the Chief Adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh in August 2024 after protesters forced PM Sheikh Hasina into exile, Yunus has ruled in confusion, chaos and announcement reveals that he plans to continue in that same Yunus and advisers on his council had earlier said that elections would be held between December 2025 and June the announcement, Yunus and his team, including the student advisers, have around nine months to prepare for the election. While governments have conducted elections in such a timeframe, this might be a difficult task because the entire machinery has been shaken up and those in power are talking about student-founded NCP is also demanding a revamp of the election commission to purge it of "BNP loyalists".While Yunus and the NCP have been prioritising reforms, the BNP wants elections held first. It knows that with Hasina's Awami League becoming infamous and banned, it has the momentum with it now, which might fizzle out for some there is a genuine fear of the NCP becoming the "king's party" with student advisers still part of the Yunus government. The lines between the NCP and the interim government have leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi had just on June 5 accused the interim government of "resorting to tactics" to delay the election. Not just the BNP, around 50 other parties have been demanding that the polls be held in December, according to a report in the Dhaka-based Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman also called for elections by December, saying that an elected government should take policy decisions for the pressure, Yunus told the advisory council and NCP leader Nahid Islam that he planned to resign as the Chief Advisor. This saw a flurry of activity, and leaders said they had persuaded Yunus to stay the road ahead isn't going to be smooth and without major arguments was hinted by the NCP on Friday, right after Yunus announced that the election would be held in April."If effective steps are taken to implement the July Charter, July Declaration and reforms within this period, then we have no objection to holding the elections on the announced date," NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain told Prothom NCP is trying to project itself as a rising force to take on the established BNP, which has seen frequent number of political killings have taken place against members of both the BNP and the NCP. Around 70–80 people have been killed in political clashes," said Rezaur APRIL ISN'T THE BEST TIME FOR ELECTIONThe Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) on Friday expressed disappointment over the election timing."We do not understand why he [Yunus] wanted to hold the elections in April," the CPB's general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said, according to Prothom Alo."...We have clearly said, an elected government is definitely needed by 2025," he is the best period for elections in country sees pre-monsoon Kalbaishakhi storms between March and during the public exam period (typically February to April), most school and college teachers are tied up with invigilation and evaluation duties, and result processing for several months, making them largely unavailable for crucial election Yunus has declared that an election will be held by April, this doesn't end the uncertainty, and improves the situation, even if so, just marginally. What seems to be Yunus' attempt here is to buy time even as parties clamour for an election in InMust Watch
The Print
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Yunus regime's ban on Hasina's Awami League ‘concerning', says MEA; calls for polls in Bangladesh
The comments come days after the Bangladesh interim government Saturday announced a sweeping ban on all activities of the Awami League—including its online presence—under a revised anti-terrorism Act. The ban is supposed to remain in place until the International Crimes Tribunal concludes its trial of the party and its senior leadership. 'The ban on the Awami League without due process is a concerning development. As a democracy, India is naturally concerned about curtailed democratic freedoms and shrinking political space. We strongly support the early holding of free, fair, and inclusive elections in Bangladesh,' Randhir Jaiswal, the official MEA spokesperson, said at the weekly press briefing. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Tuesday expressed concerns over the Muhammad Yunus regime's decision to ban the Awami League, calling it a 'concerning development' and urging a swift return to democratic norms. The decision followed a Saturday late-night meeting of the 16-member advisory council in Bangladesh, which also resolved to publish the 'July Declaration' within the next 30 working days. According to a statement by the Muhammad Yunus-led government, the ban aims to 'protect the security and sovereignty of the country' and ensure the safety of leaders and activists involved in the July uprising, as well as witnesses and plaintiffs participating in the related tribunal processes. The move comes amid mounting pressure from the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), which has been leading widespread demonstrations across Dhaka and other cities, demanding that the Awami League be outlawed and its leaders prosecuted for their role in suppressing the July 2024 uprising. The Bangladesh government has amended the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, established by ousted ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, empowering the tribunal to punish political parties and affiliated organisations. Earlier in October 2024, the Awami League student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, was banned. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Hasina calls Yunus a 'mobster', vows to return to Bangladesh
India Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Awami League ban: Did Yunus govt give in to street politics pressures?
In a dramatic turn of events, the interim government of Bangladesh has announced a sweeping ban on the activities of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League under the country's anti-terrorism law. This includes a prohibition on all political operations, online presence and organisational activity, pending the trial of the party and its leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh) (ICT).A press release issued by the government late on May 9 declared: 'The council of advisers decided to ban all activities of the Awami League, including in the cyber-space, under the anti-terrorism law in the interests of security and sovereignty of the country, the security of the leaders and workers of the July [2024] uprising and the plaintiff and witnesses of the International Crimes Tribunal.'advertisementThe same statement also indicated that a new political framework, known as the 'July Declaration', would be finalised and published within the next 30 working unprecedented move follows closely on the heels of mounting public and political pressure, most notably from the National Citizen Party (NCP), whose southern chief organiser Hasnat Abdullah had issued an ultimatum earlier in the evening. Hasnat demanded that the interim government declare a concrete roadmap to outlaw the Awami League within the hour, threatening a mass mobilisation otherwise.'We want to clearly tell the advisers not to make any delay in banning the Awami League. We still have belief in you. You just ban Awami League,' Hasnat had warned during a charged public address. When no decision was forthcoming by the stipulated deadline, Hasnat announced the beginning of the 'March to Jamuna'—a reference to the official residence of chief advisor to the government Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka. Protesters immediately began mobilising from Shahbagh to the Rajashik Intersection, the latter cordoned off swiftly by law enforcement in anticipation of possible events culminated in an emergency meeting of the government's advisory council, chaired by law, justice and parliamentary affairs advisor Asif Nazrul. At around 10:55 pm, Nazrul confirmed the decision to impose a blanket ban on Awami League activities under the anti-terrorism law. The council also approved significant amendments to the country's International Crimes Tribunal Act (ICT Act), enabling the tribunal to prosecute not only individuals but also entire political parties and officially framed as a measure to 'protect the country's security and sovereignty', the swiftness of the government's response, coming mere hours after Hasnat's ultimatum, has triggered speculation about the level of influence the NCP—and its Islamist allies—now wield over state announcement follows a day-long sit-in and rally convened by the NCP and its affiliates. The sit-in, which began on the night of May 8 and extended until midday May 9, was followed by a four-and-a-half-hour-long rally near the Jamuna residence. A stage was erected at the Minto Road intersection, where a range of political actors—from NCP leaders to representatives of Islamist students' organisations and various platforms born out of the July 2024 movement—delivered fiery speeches demanding outlawing of the Awami are questioning whether the interim government, ostensibly independent and technocratic, has given in to populist pressure and allowed itself to be shepherded by the loudest voices on the street. The NCP, while not formally part of the interim authority, has positioned itself as a moral guardian of the post-July political order, frequently invoking nationalist rhetoric and capitalising on the anti-Awami League sentiment that erupted during the July 2024 raises troubling implications for the principle of neutrality in transitional governance. If the state's most consequential decisions—including a ban on a historic political party—are taken in the shadow of street ultimatums and choreographed rallies, it begs the question of who truly while the government has promised to release the 'July Declaration' within 30 days, the lack of transparency regarding its contents fuels concerns about a wholesale restructuring of political norms without due consultation or legal invocation of the anti-terrorism law also sets a potentially dangerous precedent. Critics warn that by applying such sweeping legal instruments against a mainstream political party—regardless of its alleged crimes—the state may be opening a proverbial Pandora's Box of selective justice, where political adversaries can be silenced through broad-brush is equally notable that the amendment to the ICT Act allows entire parties to be tried. This blurs the line between individual accountability and collective punishment, raising legal and ethical concerns about due sum, the decision to ban the Awami League marks a seismic shift in Bangladesh's political landscape, one that could either usher in a new era of accountability or set the stage for authoritarian overreach cloaked in the garb of transitional the government insists the move was necessary to 'ensure the safety of the leaders and activists of the July Movement' and safeguard the tribunal's process, the broader democratic cost of such a ban remains to be seen. Whether this action signals justice or retribution will likely depend on what comes next, and on whether the July Declaration offers a genuinely inclusive path to India Today Magazine
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bangladesh bans activities of deposed PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party
Bangladesh has decided to ban all activities of the ruling Awami League headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, including its online presence, under the Anti-Terrorism Act until ongoing trials for alleged war crimes of the party and its leaders are concluded. The decision was made on Saturday (May 10, 2025) at a special meeting of the Advisory Council of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh. The council also approved an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act, allowing the tribunal to penalise political parties, their affiliated organisations, and supporters. According to the resolution adopted in the meeting, the ban is intended to safeguard national security and sovereignty, ensure the protection of leaders and activists of the July Movement, and guarantee the safety of plaintiffs and witnesses associated with the International Crimes Tribunal. An official notification regarding the ban will be issued on the next working day. The Advisory Council also resolved to finalise and publish the July Declaration within the next 30 working days. Ms. Hasina and many of her senior party colleagues have been accused of murder in many cases after her ouster last year. Ms. Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5 as her official residence was stormed by protesters soon after she left the country. The United Nations human rights office in a report said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during three weeks of anti-Hasina protest. Saturday night's dramatic decision came after thousands of protesters, including supporters of a newly formed political party by students, took to the streets in Dhaka and issued an ultimatum to ban the Awami League party by Saturday night. The members of the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party also prominently took part in the protest. (with inputs from AP)
