E-Paper
Muhammad Yunus to continue as Bangladesh’s interim govt chief, says adviser amid resignation chatter
Earlier this week, Bangladesh's interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus reportedly threatened to quit.
Muhammad Yunus will remain as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, an adviser in his cabinet said on Saturday amid speculation that the Nobel laureate has been considering resignation.
"He (Yunus) didn't say he will leave. He said that while we face many obstacles in carrying out the work and responsibilities assigned to us, we are overcoming them,” Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud told reporters after an unscheduled meeting of the advisory council, according to news agency AFP.
“He (Yunus) is definitely staying," Mahmud added.
The planning adviser also added that none of the advisers in the interim government were going anywhere, as the responsibility entrusted to them is significant and they cannot abandon their duty, according to AFP.
The surprise meeting of the advisory council was held hours before Yunus is scheduled to meet leaders of top political parties in Bangladesh and days after Yunus reportedly threatened to quit.
His press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, told AFP earlier today that Yunus would meet leaders of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. No agenda for the talks has been released.
Also Read | Bangladesh army chief, Yunus differ on holding elections
Yunus, who assumed office following a mass uprising in Bangladesh last year, has reportedly threatened to resign if political parties fail to support him.
Political crisis in Bangladesh
Bangladesh's political crisis escalated this week, with rival parties protesting on the streets of the capital Dhaka, with a string of competing demands.
Thousands of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters marched in Dhaka on Thursday, demanding a firm election date.
Yunus has promised that polls will be held in Bangladesh by June 2026 at the latest, but BNP supporters have been demanding that he fix a date.
Yunus's relationship with the military has also reportedly deteriorated, with the Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman saying that elections should be held by December.
