The development of Yunus’s resignation came amid reports of discord between the military and the interim government over the possible timeline for holding the parliamentary elections.
Amid reports of considering resignation, Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Saturday called an unscheduled meeting of the advisory council to review a brewing unease involving his administration, political parties and the Army, according to media reports. Earlier, Yunus cited difficulties in working amid the failure of political parties to find common ground for change as he considered stepping down as chief adviser. In the meeting, there was a detailed discussion on the three major responsibilities entrusted to the government—elections, reforms and justice.
The meeting discussed ‘impractical demands’
The meeting discussed the ‘impractical demands’, as they ‘hindered’ the functioning of the interim government. According to a statement by the Advisory Council, the Interim government will listen to political parties and clarify the government’s position. The statement added, “In spite of hundreds of obstacles, the interim government continues to fulfill the responsibility assigned upon it.”
The interim government, the statement added, will make the reasons public if ‘external forces’ and ‘forces already defeated’ continue to disrupt the government’s functioning. It added that the government will take necessary decisions in consultation with the people if its independence, reform initiatives, judicial process, fair elections and normal activities are disrupted and it becomes impossible to discharge the assigned responsibilities.
Also, Yunus is expected to meet with the advisers before back-to-back meetings with former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami later on Saturday.
BNP delegation to meet Yunus
According to the chief adviser’s press wing, a BNP delegation would meet the chief advisers at 7:00 pm, while Jamaat leaders would meet him at 8:00 pm.
“We have been invited by the Chief Adviser’s Office to hold a meeting over the latest political situation,” a BNP spokesman told the media earlier.
On Thursday night, Yunus told Student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) leaders that he was mulling resignation as he felt “the situation is such that he cannot work”.
This came hours after he reportedly expressed an identical desire to quit in a cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Rift with the Bangladesh Army
The development of Yunus’s resignation came amid reports of discord between the military and the interim government over the possible timeline for holding the parliamentary elections and a policy issue related to Bangladesh’s security affairs involving a proposed humanitarian corridor of aid to Myanmar’s rebel-held Rakhine state.
Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, along with the navy and air force chiefs, met Yunus three days ago and reportedly reiterated their call for an election by December this year to allow an elected government to take charge and conveyed their reservation about the corridor issue.
However, in a recent development, an adviser in Yunus’s cabinet said that he will remain as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government. It comes two days after a key ally said he mulled resignation.
(With inputs from agency)
