War-like situation in Bangladesh post-Awami ban: Yunus cites 'crisis' amid mounting pressure to hold polls

Bangladesh’s Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said on Sunday that a ‘war-like situation’ emerged both inside and outside the country ever since the transitional government imposed a ban on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League. The remarks from the Nobel laureate came at a meeting with other political parties.

According to Bangladeshi news outlet The Daily Star, Yunus met 20 leaders of different political parties and organisations that are still operating in Bangladesh. The meeting took place in two separate sessions at the state guest house, Jamuna.

“A war-like situation emerged both inside and outside the country, preventing us from moving forward, causing everything to collapse, and pushing us back into subservience,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Prof Yunus as saying during the meeting.

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‘If I fail to hold elections, I will feel guilty’: Yunus

The meetings took place amid reports that Yunus expressed his desire to step down , expressing frustration over recent developments. Meanwhile, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party leaders met separately with Yunus on Saturday.

During the meeting, Yunus stated that the 2024 mass uprising gave the country a great opportunity to “turn things around”. “Since the Awami League's activities were banned [on May 12], there have been relentless efforts to destabilise the situation. We must protect ourselves from this,” Yunus said at the meeting.

He urged the political leaders that he would do nothing to harm the country. “I felt confident as we all sat together. If I fail to hold a fair election, I will feel guilty,” he averred. Shafiqul noted that the party leaders heard Yunus and reaffirmed their support for the interim government.

Hasina slams Yunus

In her latest audio message, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, slammed Yunus, accusing him of “selling the nation to the United States.” Hasina’s wrath was in response to the Yunus government’s decision to ban the Awami League.

“My father did not agree to America’s demands for St. Martin’s Island . He had to give his life for that. And that was my destiny as I never thought of selling the country to stay in power,” she said.

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“He has seized power with the help of terrorists, even those who are banned in various international arenas, against whom my government protected the people of Bangladesh. After only one terrorist attack, we took strict measures. Many were arrested. Now prisons are empty. They released everyone. Now Bangladesh is the reign of those militants”, the former Bangladeshi PM furthered.

She referred to Yunus as a ‘militant leader’ and called the ban on her party ‘unconstitutional’. “We got the constitution of our great Bengali nation through a long struggle and the liberation war. Who gave this militant leader, who has illegally seized power, the right to touch the constitution? He does not have the mandate of the people and has no constitutional basis. That position (Chief Advisor) also has no basis, and it does not exist. So, how can he change the law without a parliament? This is illegal. They have banned the Awami League,” Hasina concluded in her message.

Overall, persistent turmoil in Bangladesh has left Yunus frustrated, with hopes of conducting a smooth election still seeming far-fetched.