Bangladesh: Will Muhammad Yunus Quit Amid Mounting Pressure?
Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar Uz Zaman (Images X.com)
Bangladesh’s Power Tussle – A Nation at a Crossroads Amid Political Strife
By MANISH ANAND
NEW DELHI, May 26, 2025 –Bangladesh is again embroiled in a power struggle, with the Interim Government’s ‘indefiniteness’ riling the armed forces and the Opposition. Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’ image of a US-backed parachuter is turning the debate around the ‘Rakhine Corridor’ upsetting.
Yunus was in Paris when over 10 months ago a violent protest led by students at Dhaka University toppled the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Yunus, a Nobel laureate, also had warm relations with the Clinton Centre in the US.
Now, Yunus stares at an uncertain future. Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar Uz Zaman is up in arms against the idea of the ‘Rakhine Corridor’, first proposed by the United Nations to reach the humanitarian aides to the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The corridor has ignited the nationalist spirit in Bangladesh. Main Opposition party, Bangladesh National Party, which bis headed by Khalida Zia is sternly opposed to opening the corridor.
General Zaman wants such a decision to be taken by a Constitutionally elected government. Yunus is an unelected head of an Interim Government, which usurped power on basis of a violent agitation.
With General Zaman drawing the red line for Yunus, the fragile politics of Bangladesh has just opened. Only a few days ago, the Yunus-led dispensation had banned Hasina-led Awami League. While being an unelected government, Yunus looked acting on instructions of the sponsors of the violent agitation.
Hasina in a statement further stoked the Rakhine Corridor controversy, saying that she had been steadfast in opposition to the demand of the US for the St. Martin’s Island. But Yunus is squandering away the sovereignty of Bangladesh, alleged Hasina.
Conspiracy theorists have long been fuelling the theory that the US wants to establish a small Christian nation by taking away land of Bangladesh to connect with Myanmar for the larger geopolitical objectives.
Bangladeshi media reports paint a vivid picture of a nation caught between reformist aspirations and resurgent political belligerence. They have noted escalating tensions over election timelines, governance, and law enforcement. Yunus in interviews to Bangladeshi media had been non-committal on holding elections, arguing that reforms could take as much as even four years for polls to be held.
The power struggle has crystallized around the timing of general elections, promised by Yunus to occur between December 2025 and June 2026. Media outlets have claimed that Yunus expressed his frustrations in a meeting with interim advisors, questioning whether the political conditions still allowed him to govern. This frustration stems from reported discord with General Zaman.
General Zaman reportedly has asked Yunus to hold elections by December this year. Bangladeshi media outlets such as bdnews24.com quoted the National Citizen Party’s Nahid Islam, who was a lead student leader against Hasina, claiming that “Yunus considered resignation due to political pressure and lack of cooperation from major parties, highlighting a growing mistrust between the interim government and opposition forces like the BNP”.
Prothom Alo, a prominent Bangladeshi publication, in a report pointed to a deteriorating security landscape exacerbating the political crisis. It stated: “At least six top criminals and terrorists have been freed since the undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina on 5th August this year… With little to no monitoring of the released criminals, the police and intelligence authorities alike are in a state of panic in Bangladesh.”
Professor Tawohidul Haque told Prothom Alo, “The top terrorists used to control the crimes staying in jails,” signaling a potential resurgence of criminal networks exploiting the political vacuum.
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