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The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Army Chief General Zaman vs Chief Adviser Prof Yunus: Power struggle in Bangladesh over timing of election
Two months after announcing election, the interim government of Bangladesh is indicating that it may not be in a position to hold election by December 2025. This apprehension was part of a discussion at the council of advisers that Chief Adviser Prof Mohammed Yunus held late Thursday (May 22, 2025) night after Army Chief Waker Uz Zaman held a closed door meeting with Commanding Officers on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) where he expressed unhappiness over the functioning of the interim government and said, 'Elections must be held by December and that only an elected government should determine the nation's course and not an unelected administration'. Addressing the Commanding Officers in Wednesday's meeting, Army Chief General Waker Uz Zaman said certain policies of the interim government were not part of the understanding on which the interim government was configured after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government last August. It was learned that General Waker Uz Zaman expressed serious concern over 'key decisions' of the interim government and claimed that the Armed Forces of Bangladesh were not briefed before taking those decisions. The stock taking meeting of the army chief came in the backdrop of fast paced decisions that the Yunus administration has taken reportedly to open a 'humanitarian corridor' to the Rakhine province of Myanmar. At a certain point during the meeting, it was mentioned that the officer corps stands united in support of General Zaman and that they are ready to 'act upon command'. The military meet also took note of the interim government's decision to introduce a school pledge that removed mention of the Liberation War prompting a Commanding Officer (CO) to say that the 'Liberation war legacy and national prestige are non-negotiable.' Responding to the criticism in the military meet, Prof Yunus called for an unscheduled meeting of the Council of Advisers of the interim administration on Thursday (May 22, 2025). According to sources in Dhaka, during the meeting, Prof Yunus expressed frustration about the evolving situation and discussed with his colleagues whether there is a need for him to continue as the Chief Adviser to the interim government. He said that under the present circumstances only a 'controlled election' can be held and that fully transparent election is not possible by December this year. At one point, reportedly a draft speech for the nation was prepared with Prof Yunus indicating that he would resign. However, the advisers prevailed in this discussion and said, leaving the responsibility of governance at this stage would land Bangladesh in a more volatile situation and the responsibility of this chaos would fall on Yunus himself. A major point of contention between Prof Yunus-led advisers and the powerful military establishment is the initiative to establish a so called 'humanitarian corridor' connecting Chittagong with Myanmar's Rakhine province. The argument of the Yunus administration is that the 'humanitarian corridor' will provide medicines and other necessary items for the conflict-torn Rakhine which is known as the centre of the Rohingya crisis. It has also been suggested that the corridor will turn into a security threat as it is difficult to ensure proper management of such an initiative as most of Rakhine known for drugs and weapons smuggling has been taken over by the insurgent group Arakan Army which is fighting both the military forces of Myanmar as well as the Rohingya militants. The Hindu has learnt that the idea of the corridor was 'unequivocally' rejected by General Waker Uz Zaman in Wednesday's meeting who described it as 'completely unacceptable' because of the security risks involved.
CNA
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Bangladesh army chief wants elections 'by December'
DHAKA: Bangladesh's powerful army chief has said the first elections since the country's former leader was ousted in a mass uprising should be held by December, local media reported and military sources confirmed on Thursday (May 22). General Waker-Uz-Zaman was reported to have told officers on Wednesday that elections should be held by December this year - if not earlier, according to Bangladeshi newspapers. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since the student-led revolt that ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August, with parties protesting on the streets making rafts of demands. "Bangladesh is passing through a chaotic phase," Waker-Uz-Zaman said, according to the newspapers. "The situation is worsening by the day. The structure of the civil administration and law enforcement agencies has collapsed and failed to reconstitute." No date has been set for elections but interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has promised polls will be held by June 2026 at the latest. But the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the front-runners in the elections, have repeatedly demanded an election date. The BNP on Wednesday held protests in the capital Dhaka, significant in that they for the first time demonstrated against the caretaker government. In response to a question from an officer, the army chief reportedly said: "Elections should be held by December, if not earlier." He also is reported to have told officers to "carry out your duties with honesty and impartiality during the election". It was Waker-Uz-Zaman who announced in August last year that Hasina had been overthrown, with the military taking brief control. Days later, Waker-Uz-Zaman handed over power to Yunus, 84, who has said he will lead the caretaker government until the next elections. Lieutenant Colonel Sami-Ud-Dowla Chowdhury, the military spokesperson, confirmed that Waker-Uz-Zaman had addressed officers on Wednesday but said the "meeting was confidential". But three sources with direct knowledge of the meeting told AFP that the army chief emphasised the urgency of holding elections and said they should be held by December. Known for his calm demeanour, Waker-Uz-Zaman appeared frustrated and dissatisfied during the session, they said.
