Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that it is up to Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League (AL) to decide on its participation in the next national elections, emphasizing that the Election Commission determines eligibility. “They [AL] have to decide if they want to do it, I cannot decide for them,” Yunus told the BBC in an interview at his official residence, Jamuna, in Dhaka.
Yunus government plans to hold elections between December 2025 and March 2026, depending on the pace of electoral reforms. “If reforms can be done as quickly as we wish, then December would be the time. If it takes longer, we may need a few more months,” he stated. Hasina, who was ousted by protests in August and is currently in exile in India, faces allegations of crimes against humanity. Bangladesh’s tribunal has issued an arrest warrant for her, but India has yet to respond.
Reflecting on his unexpected leadership role, Yunus said, “I had no idea I’d be leading the government. I had never run a government machine before and had to get the button right.” He stressed that his focus is on restoring law and order and rebuilding the economy. “It’s a shattered economy, a devastated economy. It’s as if a terrible tornado has lasted for 16 years, and we are trying to pick up the pieces,” he said. Hasina’s tenure (2009–2023) was marked by allegations of human rights violations, suppression of dissent, and political killings. Her ouster followed a student-led uprising demanding her removal. “We are coming from complete disorder,” Yunus said, recalling the violent protests that engulfed Bangladesh last year. “People were getting shot, killed.”
Despite his claims of stability, unrest continues, and AL supporters have alleged targeted violence. In February, several homes of AL members, including the residence of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were attacked. AL accused the interim government of enabling such violence. Yunus dismissed concerns about the safety of AL members. “There’s a court, there’s a law, there’s a police station. You don’t go to a BBC correspondent to complain—you go to the police,” he remarked.
The US’s decision to cut aid to Bangladesh could have repercussions, as the country received $450 million in assistance last year. However, Yunus downplayed the impact. “It’s their decision,” he said. “It has been helpful because they were doing things we wanted, like fighting corruption, which we couldn’t afford right away.”