No consensus on reforms, Bangladesh interim head Yunus ‘mulls’ quitting
Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus is mulling resignation as he is finding it difficult to work in view of political parties failing to reach a common ground to bring reforms in the country, according to a media report.
Student-led National Citizen Party chief Nhid Islam reportedly said Yunus was apprehensive over the evolving political situation in the country and whether he would be able to carry on with his work.
“He (Yunus) said he is thinking about it (resignation). He feels that the situation is such that he cannot work,” Islam said on Thursday night after he met with the 84-year-old leader.
Islam said he went to meet Chief Adviser Yunus after hearing throughout the day about the speculation of his resignation.
“He said, ‘If I can't work… I was brought here after a mass uprising to bring change and reform to the country. But in the current situation, with mounting pressure from movements and the way I’m being cornered, this isn't how I can work,” Islam told the BBC Bangla.
Another media report referring to unnamed sources close to Yunus said he actually threatened to resign if parties do not give him their backing and expressed his desire to quit at a cabinet or advisory council meeting earlier on Thursday.
It said the other advisers, effectively ministers, however, persuaded him not to do so.
The development of Yunus’ resignation came amid reports of some discord between the military and the interim government over the possible timeline for holding the parliamentary elections and a policy issue related to Bangladesh’s security affairs involving a proposed humanitarian corridor of aid channel to Myanmar’s rebel-held Rakhine state.
On Wednesday, BNP leaders said it would be “difficult” to continue supporting the interim government without a firm election plan.
Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman along with the navy and air force chiefs met Yunus and reportedly reiterated their call for election by December this year to allow an elected government take charge and conveyed their reservation about the corridor issue.
The next day, Zaman called a senior officers' meeting at Dhaka Cantonment to review the situation and reportedly informed them that he was in the dark on several strategic policy decisions though it was extending its service as a law enforcement agency in the current turmoil.
The registration of Hasina's Awami League party was suspended this month, effectively barring the party from contesting the next elections.
