Bangladesh army chief, Yunus differ on holding elections
The interim government’s inability to fix a timeline for the elections and a controversial proposal to establish a corridor from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine state to help Rohingya refugees are among the key issues of divergence
New Delhi: Differences between Bangladesh’s caretaker administration and the military appear to have come to a head, with the army pushing chief adviser Muhammad Yunus to hold elections by the end of the year so that an elected government is in place by early 2026, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The interim government’s inability to fix a timeline for the elections and a controversial proposal to establish a corridor from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine state to help Rohingya refugees are among the key issues of divergence between the army and the interim government, people in New Delhi and Dhaka said on condition of anonymity.
Nobel laureate Yunus became head of the caretaker administration last August after protests spearheaded by students led to the dramatic collapse of the government of Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in self-exile in New Delhi. In recent months, Yunus has told interlocutors from several countries, including India, that he intends holding elections by the year-end provided certain reforms are carried out. If the reforms require more time, he has suggested the elections could be held by mid-2026.
The issue of the elections figured in two key meetings this week in Dhaka – a meeting on the law and order situation chaired by Yunus on Tuesday that was attended by army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, navy chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan and air force chief Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, and an internal meeting of senior army officials held on Wednesday that was addressed by Waker-Uz-Zaman, the people said.
“The Bangladesh Army chief has been saying for a long time that elections should be held within 18 months of the formation of the interim government so that the troops can return to the barracks. This has been conveyed to the interim government again, with the expectation that an elected government will be in place by January or February at the latest,” a person familiar with the thinking within the army said.
Waker-Uz-Zaman’s remarks at Thursday’s internal army meeting in Dhaka cantonment were also leaked to the Bangladeshi media. “Bangladesh needs political stability. This is only possible through an elected government, not by unelected decision-makers,” he was quoted as saying at the meeting by The Daily Star newspaper.
“The army is meant for defending the nation, not for policing...We must return to barracks after elections,” he also said, according to the daily.
The general rejected the proposal for a corridor with Myanmar’s Rakhine state on the grounds that Bangladesh’s sovereignty is not negotiable, the people cited above said. Such “risky and sensitive” matters cannot be decided by an unelected government while keeping the armed forces in the dark, Waker-uz-Zaman contended, according to the people.
The army chief also questioned the handling of the economy and expressed concern at high-risk decisions made by unelected administrations, such as allowing the launch of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet services, the people said.
The officer corps of the Bangladesh Army has expressed support for the chief, the people said, adding that the army wouldn’t tolerate mob violence or lawlessness of any kind.
The people said most of the differences between the military and the interim government had emerged because of decisions made by people around Yunus, particularly National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, who has been widely seen as pushing the Rakhine corridor proposal.
“There appear to be multiple power centres in the interim government, and its actions have lacked consistency,” a second person said. “No one appears to have a firm grip on matters of governance and things seem to be drifting.”
On Thursday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for the removal of Rahman, with party leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi questioning his appointment by Yunus. “How did someone as controversial as Rahman, known as an architect of the conspiracy to hand over corridors, channels and ports to foreigners, get appointed as the NSA?” Rizvi said at a news conference.
India’s relations with Bangladesh have hit an all-time low since the dispensation led by Yunus came to power, and New Delhi has decided to adopt a wait and watch approach in light of the latest developments, the people said. However, the Bangladesh Army is being seen as a factor of stability at a time when the interim government’s actions have emboldened radical elements and led to the release of militant leaders from jail, they added.
The Indian and Bangladesh governments have repeatedly clashed over the issue of the repression of Bangladesh’s religious minorities. India last week restricted imports of ready-made garments from Bangladesh only to Kolkata and Nhava Sheva ports and barred imports of a range of consumer goods through 13 land border posts in the northeast and West Bengal in response to restrictions adopted by Dhaka, reflecting the downturn in ties.
