Bangladesh interim chief Muhammad Yunus, advisors say after emergency talks amid resignation

Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus will remain in the office, his advisors on Saturday evening confirmed that after an unintended, closed door meeting of the council, it was estimated that he was preparing to resign under political and military pressure.The plan advisor Wahiduddin Mahmood told reporters after a meeting at the NEC conference room in Dhaka that Younus had not made any intention to step down. “The chief advisors are living with us. He has not said that he will resign, and all other advisors will continue. We are to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to us here,” Mahmood said, according to the news outlet Prothom Alo.Soon after the ECNEC session, the council met behind closed doors, which was seen as an important moment to address the growing tension within the interim government. Hours ago, Younus called an emergency meeting between electoral clarity and increasing demands for growing discord between political groups and army.According to news agency UNB, Chief Advisors were ready to meet leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. A BNP spokesperson confirmed, “We have been invited by the office of the Chief Advisor to hold a meeting on the latest political situation.” The BNP meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm (local time), in which the group is followed at 8:00 pm.The 84 -year -old Yunus had previously believed in the leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) that he was considering the resignation. “He said he is thinking about it. He feels that the situation is such that he cannot work,” NCP convenor Nahid Islam was called by the BBC bungalow. Yunse allegedly made similar remarks in a cabinet meeting, reporting the news agency PTI, which requested him to live by fellow advisors.BNP leaders Salhuddin Ahmed and Abdul Moeen Khan also publicly encouraged Yunus to leave, warning that they were not set up until December. “If he is unable to announce a specific election date by December, we will reconsider our support for his administration,” Salahuddin said on TV according to news agency AFP.The army has also pushed for elections till December. Bangladesh’s Army Chief General Waker-e-Zaman and other military leaders met Younus first in the week, urged a clear time and raised objections on a proposed human corridor for Myanmar. A day later, Zaman called a military leadership meeting and expressed concern over the strategic decisions being made without military input, which was seen as a sign of the army’s growing influence.Yunus has led the caretaker government since last August, forced to exit Sheikh Hasina after a student -led rebellion. Supported by students against discrimination (SAD), many of whom now lead the NCP, Yunus returned from exile to lead the interim setup.Political friction has increased between NCP and BNP in recent weeks. The BNP wants to exclude the student representatives from the cabinet, while the NCP has accused the two advisors of favoring BNP interests. The Jamaat, which has recently shifted support from BNP to NCP, called both election and governance reforms.Despite these pressures, Chief Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan stressed that the interim government’s mission went beyond holding elections. He said, “We have three major responsibilities, all of which are difficult: reform, justice and election. We did not take charge just to hold elections,” he said.As 170 million citizens of Bangladesh wait amidst protests and demands for competition, these latest development shows that Younus will be minimal so far.