Dhaka is once again bracing for unrest as Muhammad Yunus, the embattled head of Bangladesh’s interim government, has threatened to resign if political parties fail to offer him unified support. His announcement came after Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman called for national elections by December and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) demanded a clear roadmap to polls.
The BNP staged its first major protest against the interim regime on Thursday, pressing for elections and calling for the resignation of two Cabinet members close to the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) and the National Security Adviser, Khalilur Rahman.
The timing of Yunus’ statement, seen as a ploy by many observers, has added fuel to speculation of a fresh agitation in Dhaka—this time possibly directed at the Army itself. Sources within government departments and posts on social media have pointed to calls for mass mobilisation following Friday prayers, with protest marches planned towards the Dhaka Cantonment and the Secretariat.
According to a report by the BBC Bangla service, Yunus expressed his doubts about continuing in office during a meeting with National Citizen Party (NCP) convenor Nahid Islam. “We have been hearing news of sir’s (Yunus) resignation since this morning,” Islam told the broadcaster. “He said he is thinking about it. He feels that the situation is such that he cannot work.”
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“I am being held hostage... I can’t work like this. Can’t all the political parties reach a common ground?” Yunus was quoted as saying by Nahid.
Nahid, who resigned from Yunus’ Cabinet in February, revealed that the interim leader had mooted the idea of student leaders forming another transitional government. The meeting took place at Jamuna, the state guest house, on Thursday evening.
Islam, who emerged with Yunus’s backing during the February upheaval, leads the NCP, a party formed primarily from the student-led Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League from power.
Ariful Islam Adeeb, a top NCP leader present during the discussion, told AFP that Nahid tried to persuade Yunus to stay on. Prothom Alo, a leading Bangladeshi daily, reported that Yunus appeared determined to resign, but was eventually talked out of it by Cabinet colleagues.
“He [Yunus] wanted to tender his resignation, but his Cabinet members persuaded him not to,” an unnamed official told AFP.
Besides Nahid, other Cabinet members such as Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud also attended the meeting.
The Army chief’s call for elections came during a show of unity within the armed forces, where he warned the Yunus-led administration against any unilateral move on the controversial Rakhine corridor and cautioned against interference in military matters.
General Zaman’s remarks were pointed: “Violence and chaos in the name of mass mobilisation will no longer be tolerated,” Dhaka Tribune quoted him as saying.
The BNP, seizing the moment, demanded early polls and a commitment to democracy. “The highest priority should be placed on announcing a clear roadmap for the election,” said Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, a senior BNP leader.
With the Awami League banned, the BNP sees a window to reclaim power. However, the presence of Nahid Islam’s NCP—seen by critics as a ‘King’s Party’—has sparked fears of political manipulation. BNP leaders suspect Yunus is deploying student and Islamist groups to maintain a hold on power.
Despite Yunus’ previous assurance that elections would be held by June 2026, political impatience is mounting. General Zaman’s ultimatum to hold polls by December has narrowed the government’s options. Videos of torch marches in Dhaka and calls for mass protests are spreading on social media. However, some users are urging restraint, warning against being drawn into provocations by what they call “traitors”.
The roots of the current political volatility trace back to August 2024, when Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee following a students’ agitation over job reservations. That protest later ballooned into a broader anti-government movement, leading to Yunus’ elevation as Chief Adviser.
Critics have accused Yunus of turning a blind eye to Islamist and student mob violence—ranging from demands to ban the Awami League, resistance to women's reforms, and even an attack on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic Dhanmondi 32 residence.
Speculation is now rife that Yunus may invoke the contentious July Proclamation to declare a new Republic, scrap the 1972 Constitution, and sideline General Zaman. Analysts fear such a move could plunge Bangladesh into deeper political instability.
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