Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to delivering a free, fair and credible national election next February, saying there is “no point in having an election if it is not legitimate.”
“My job is to make sure that an acceptable, clean, enjoyable election takes place,” he told Singapore-based Channel NewsAsia (CNA) in an interview during an official visit to Malaysia, according to UNB.
The interim government is moving to complete sweeping reforms it deems essential for restoring democracy, following the student-led uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule in July 2024. The protests, triggered by allegations of authoritarianism, corruption, and rights abuses, left more than 1,000 dead in violent clashes.
Hasina, now in India and facing trial in absentia, is accused of ordering the crackdown. Dhaka has urged New Delhi to stop her from making what it calls “false and fabricated” statements against the interim administration. “We are not going to get into a battle trying to get Hasina out of India… You can keep her. Our trial will go on,” Yunus said, adding she should not be allowed to destabilise Bangladesh.
The Nobel peace laureate said his government’s foreign policy shift is economically driven, noting stronger ties with China and Pakistan while maintaining that Dhaka is also open to Indian investment. “This is about investment opportunities… It’s just a fair game in business,” he said.
Yunus, 85, recalled initially declining the role of de facto prime minister until student leaders appealed to him in the wake of the bloodshed. He reiterated he would not remain in government after the election.
“I would hope that from now on, Bangladesh will be on the right track, it will not be derailed again,” he said.