Latest news with #RoyalInstituteofInternationalAffairs
The Print
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
Not interested in being part of Bangladesh's next elected govt: Yunus
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. 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. Dhaka, Jun 11 (PTI) Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said he would not be interested in being part of the next elected government, according to a media report. '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. Replying to another question about Hasina's Awami League, 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, Hasina faces multiple cases in Bangladesh. 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 Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year. PTI GSP GSP This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘No way': Bangladesh interim leader Yunus rules out staying in power after 2026 elections
Days after announcing polls for April 2026, Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday that he has no intention of holding onto power after the elections—the country's first national vote since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 84, was appointed to lead the interim administration 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. Speaking at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Yunus was emphatic when asked whether he would seek a political role after the election. 'There was 'no way',' he replied as quoted by news agency AFP, waving his hands for emphasis. 'I think none of our cabinet members would like to do that, not only me.' It was on Friday last week when Yunus announced that the country's national elections will be held in the first half of April 2026. 'After reviewing the ongoing reforms related to justice, governance, and the electoral process, I am announcing to the nation today that the next national election will be held on any day in the first half of April 2026,' Yunus said during a televised address to the nation on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. 'The Election Commission will provide you with a detailed roadmap for the elections at an appropriate time,' he added. Yunus had reiterated that his government's primary role is to ensure a smooth transition to a democratically elected government. He has previously committed to holding elections before June 2026, but political parties have pressured him to set a more concrete timeline. Meanwhile, Yunus who is currently on UK visit, will meet King Charles III and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the visit which is scheduled from June 9-13. Yunus' announcement regarding the Bangladesh elections comes just a week after the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) formally indicted former PM Hasina and two others on charges including mass murder. The indictments stem from their alleged role in a violent crackdown on the student-led protests that erupted across Bangladesh in 2024. A three-judge ICT bench took cognisance of the charges after prosecutors accused Hasina and her former colleagues of unleashing excessive force on demonstrators during the unrest that eventually led to her ouster.
Business Recorder
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Bangladesh's Yunus says will step down after polls
LONDON: Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus said Wednesday that there was 'no way' he wanted to continue in power after elections he has announced for April, the first since a mass uprising overthrew the government. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule. Speaking in London, Yunus, asked if he himself was seeking any political post, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said there was 'no way', waving his hands in the air for emphasis. 'I think none of our cabinet members would like to do that, not only me', he said. Yunus was answering questions after speaking at London's foreign policy think tank Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Bangladesh's Yunus announces elections in April 2026 He also said he wanted to unveil a 'big package' of proposals next month that he dubbed a 'July Charter' – one year on since the students launched the demonstrations that toppled Hasina. The aim of the package, he added, was to overhaul democratic institutions after Hasina's tenure. 'We want to say goodbye to the old Bangladesh and create a new Bangladesh', Yunus said. The charter is being drafted by a government 'consensus commission', talking to political parties to 'find that which are the recommendations they will accept', he added. Yunus has long said elections will be held before June 2026, but says the more time the interim administration had to enact reforms, the better. But after political parties jostling for power repeatedly demanded he fix a timetable, he said earlier this month that elections would be held in April 2026. 'Our job is to make sure that the transition is managed well, and that people are happy when we hand over power to the elected government,' he said. 'So we want to make sure that the election is right, that is a very critical factor for us. If the election is wrong, this thing will never be solved again'. Yunus is also expected to meet in London with Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely seen as likely to sweep the elections. Rahman, 59, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has lived in London since 2008 after being sentenced in absentia under Hasina – convictions since quashed. He is widely expected to return to Dhaka to lead the party in polls.
New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bangladesh's interim leader Yunus says he will step down after polls
LONDON: Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus said there was "no way" he wanted to continue in power after elections he has announced for April, the first since a mass uprising overthrew the government. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule. Yunus, asked if he himself was seeking any political post, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said there was "no way", waving his hands in the air for emphasis. "I think none of our cabinet members would like to do that, not only me", he said. Yunus was answering questions Tuesday evening after speaking at London's foreign policy think tank Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He also said he wanted to unveil a "big package" of proposals next month that he dubbed a "July Charter" -- one year on since the students launched the demonstrations that toppled Hasina. The aim of the package, he added, was to overhaul democratic institutions after Hasina's tenure. "We want to say goodbye to the old Bangladesh and create a new Bangladesh", Yunus said. The charter is being drafted by a government "consensus commission", talking to political parties to "find that which are the recommendations they will accept", he added.
Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Keir Starmer must raise defence spending higher and faster
Mark Rutte, the former prime minister of the Netherlands, has been secretary general of Nato for less than nine months. He knew when he decided to seek the job that it would not be easy, but even the famously phlegmatic and unflappable Dutchman cannot have foreseen the intensity of events. On Monday, he gave a speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, better known as Chatham House. Rutte's address was billed as preparation for the annual Nato Summit, taking place in The Hague later this month. It allowed him to sketch out an agenda, and he did so with clarity and frankness, focusing on defence spending and the immediacy of the threat posed to Nato member states by Russia and its network of allies.
