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Mohammad Yunus has confirmed he would remain in office, even as the Army has been seeking polls. Here’s what local, Bangladesh Army, Indian intel sources say
A proposed humanitarian corridor into Myanmar’s Rakhine State has also become a bone of contention between Muhammad Yunus and army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman. (AFP Photo)
Bangladesh chief adviser Mohammad Yunus’s meetings on Saturday with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami were nothing but a show of strength, according to local sources.
“In the meeting, the BNP demanded that the elections should be held by December 2025. They requested Yunus to announce a clear roadmap. They also demanded the removal of student representatives from the cabinet, accusing them of partisan bias,” said sources.
While the BNP leaders cautiously stated that they did not seek Yunus’s resignation, they added that they expected him to oversee a timely transition to an elected government
“The Jamaat, meanwhile, wanted to do a return favour to Yunus. They wanted that Yunus should continue with structural reforms and elections. They didn’t leave any chance to support Yunus advocated for governance overhauls to restore public trust,” said sources.
Despite earlier resignation threats, Yunus confirmed he would remain in office after his cabinet forced him to stay.
WHAT SOURCES CLOSE TO BANGLADESH ARMY SAY
Bangladesh Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman and Yunus have been at loggerheads for a while, with the former seeking elections.
“By not announcing anything, Yunus is taking the country to bigger problems. Zaman maintains that strategic priorities are important and not the day-to-day need. The Army and Wakar want an election timeline as soon as possible,” said sources close to the Bangladesh Army.
Zaman sees Yunus’s June 2026 timeline as destabilising and not good for the force, they added. “Zaman feels that prolonged interim governance risks compromising national security. The Army is sceptical about Yunus’s engagement with Islamist groups like Jamaat. The Army feels they have aligned with anti-secular forces,” they added.
WHAT TOP INDIAN INTELLIGENCE SOURCES SAY
Yunus has multiple options and he should act for the safety of the region and Bangladesh, say top Indian intelligence sources.
“Yunus’s first option is to set a timeline for the elections. The meeting was nothing, but a move to show that he can mobilise Jamat on road for him. In case he feels pressure from the Army, he may step down, allowing a caretaker government to take charge. In his arrogance, he will continue in the name of reforms and risk confrontation with the Army,” they said.
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