Bangladesh’s interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, is reportedly considering resignation, citing difficulties in functioning due to the failure of political parties to reach a consensus.
“We’ve been hearing reports of Sir’s (Yunus) resignation since this morning, so I went to meet him to discuss the matter… He said he is considering it. He feels the current situation makes it difficult for him to continue,” National Citizen Party chief Nhid Islam told BBC Bangla on Thursday, May 22.
Change in the foreign ministry
Yunus has also reshuffled the top ranks of the foreign ministry, appointing a senior diplomat to handle routine duties temporarily, saying Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin has “relinquished his responsibilities”.
This move follows media reports indicating that the government had decided to remove Uddin about two weeks ago for “obscure reasons”.
Rift between Yunus and Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman
Reports have also emerged about a growing rift between Yunus and Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman. While Zaman wants Yunus to declare early elections, the latter appears reluctant to move in that direction.
Zaman is reportedly worried about instability due to foreign interference.
Bangladesh Army sources told CNN-News 18, “The Army chief wants Yunus to declare elections as soon as possible. His biggest worry is instability due to foreign interference, which may be a possibility because of Yunus, who is perceived as a puppet of foreign agencies.”
Another big worry of Zaman is Yunus’ release of prisoners through executive orders. Sources close to the Army chief told CNN-News18 that the Bangladesh Army was on board with Zaman. But Yunus was attempting to divide the Army by appointing a National Security Advisor in the absence of the Army chief.
Lt Gen Faizur Rahman, Quarter-Master General of Bangladesh Army, held a closed-door meeting with NSA Khalilur Rahman, a confidant of Yunus. The report said the new NSA and Yunus will attempt to remove the Army chief, but most of the commanders want the elections as soon as possible.
Zaman is also reportedly aiming to bring the parties of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia together to participate in the elections jointly. “He has already made backchannels with all the parties to contest together for the sake of democracy,” sources close to Zaman told CNN-News18.
Reasons behind the rift
One of the major reasons behind the tussle between Yunus and Zaman is their opposite inclinations. While Zaman is usually seen as a pro-India figure, Yunus and his administration are pro-Pakistan and pro-Islamist.
Recently, Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP), put up a 28-second video in which Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said the Army chief was not keen on making Yunus the advisor. He said, despite his Nobel laureate status and reformist credentials, Yunus was not the right person for the role.
The Army chief had hinted at a coup. “I can see a potential threat to the independence and sovereignty of the country. I have no other aspirations but want to see the country in safe hands. I had enough in the last 7-8 months…I’m warning you in advance so that you don’t say tomorrow I have not told you,” News18 had reported Zaman as saying.