Abu Jakir :
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus may resign as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, raising widespread concern across the political spectrum.
Civil society groups and major political parties are urging him to stay on, viewing his leadership as crucial to navigating the country’s fragile democratic transition.
Yunus, 84, assumed office in August 2024 following a historic student-led uprising that toppled the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
However, he has reportedly expressed deep frustration over mounting political deadlock and institutional resistance, which have hampered his reform agenda.
While no formal resignation has been tendered, senior officials suggest a decision may be imminent.
“Yes, Yunus sir has indicated that he is considering stepping down.
As far as I know, he will make a final decision today [Saturday] after consulting with other advisers,” Foyez Ahammad, senior assistant press secretary to the Chief Adviser, confirmed on Friday.
The immediate source of tension stems from disagreements between the interim administration and the military regarding the timing of the next general election.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the country’s key political forces, has stepped up pressure on Yunus to announce a definitive electoral roadmap. Recent BNP-led demonstrations outside Yunus’s official residence, Jamuna, have highlighted the public’s growing impatience for political clarity.
Ironically, BNP leaders who have long demanded elections are now appealing for Yunus to remain in office.
“You are not just Yunus the individual – you are the Yunus of 180 million Bangladeshis,” said Zainul Abedin Farroque, a senior BNP leader, at a public event on Friday.
“You have made us proud on the global stage. I was shocked to read reports suggesting you told an NCP leader that resignation is the only option.”
BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan offered a more nuanced view, stating that while Yunus’s resignation is not the party’s demand, any departure must be timed responsibly.
“The people expect him to ensure a dignified exit-but only after delivering on the promise of a free and fair election.”
Salahuddin Ahmed, another BNP senior leader, reaffirmed the party’s stance: “If Dr Yunus chooses to step down instead of providing an electoral roadmap, that is entirely his personal decision. We have not called for his resignation.”
Support for Yunus also came from other quarters. Mamunul Haque, joint secretary-general of Hefazat-e-Islam, described the Nobel laureate as a “saviour during a national crisis” and urged him to complete the reform process.
He warned that divisive elements are seeking to fracture the July Unity Coalition that brought the interim government to power.
The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), a relatively new political entity, convened an emergency press conference urging national unity. “This is not a time for resignation-it is a time for reconciliation,” said AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju.
Poet and Writer Farhad Mazhar thinks that Dr. Muhammad Yunus should not consider resignation at this stage.
The people did not rally behind him to see him walk away under pressure – they entrusted him with the responsibility of steering the country through one of its most delicate transitions.
Resignation now would not only signal defeat but could also unravel the hopes for genuine reform that were ignited by the student-led uprising, he said.
Despite these appeals, Yunus’s position is increasingly challenged by the military leadership. Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has reportedly demanded that national elections be held no later than December.
At a closed-door meeting, Zaman is said to have firmly rejected the interim government’s proposed “humanitarian corridor” into Myanmar’s Rakhine State – an initiative spearheaded by Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain and supported by the United Nations and United States.
Zaman condemned the corridor as a threat to national sovereignty. “The Bangladesh Army will never engage in any activity that compromises the country’s sovereignty – nor will it allow others to do so,” he reportedly told senior officials, as cited by the Dhaka Tribune.
He further stressed that national interest must guide all actions, adding, “Whatever is done must be anchored in political consensus.”
The proposed aid corridor, which was to run through Chattogram Division – already home to over a million Rohingya refugees – has drawn sharp criticism from across the political divide.
Both the BNP and leftist parties have denounced the plan as unilateral and illegal.
As speculation mounts over Yunus’s potential resignation, political uncertainty deepens. Many fear that if he steps down without resolving the electoral impasse, the country could plunge into fresh instability.
The nation now waits for his final decision – one that could shape the future course of Bangladesh’s democratic journey.
