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Published : 23 May 2025, 05:27 PM
Amid mounting speculation surrounding Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus's future, his special aide Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb took to Facebook on Friday afternoon and asserted that he would not be resigning as head of the interim government. The post, however, is no longer visible on Taiyeb's page.
Attempts to reach the chief advisor's special assistant on ICT affairs on the phone for comment were unsuccessful.
Rumours about Yunus's possible exit kicked into gear after BBC Bangla, quoting National Citizen Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam, reported that Yunus was “considering resigning” following their sudden meeting on Thursday.
After the student-led mass uprising that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on Aug 5 last year, Nobel laureate Yunus was sworn in as head of the interim government on Aug 8.
Almost 10 months on, political tensions have resurfaced, this time over the swearing-in of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation. The rift between the BNP and the NCP, spearheaded by the leaders of the July Uprising, sparked further disagreement, leading to calls for the resignations of several government advisors.
Against this backdrop, reports emerged that Army chief Waker-uz-Zaman had internally discussed holding elections by December.
Speculation on social media gained traction after Nahid, who had resigned from the interim government in February to lead the NCP, went to meet Yunus on Thursday.
Afterwards, two student advisors still in the government -- Mahfuj Alam and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain -- also met Yunus.
In his Facebook post, Taiyeb expressed his hope that Yunus would not resign.
“In fact, the cabinet needs to be more dynamic. The government needs to be more functional, the advisors need to do more work, and visible progress needs to be presented to the public -- there can be no disagreement on this. We need to show that the professor has been successful by coming to power with the consent of the people after a mass uprising.”
He also voiced support for Yunus, saying: “Dr Muhammad Yunus is respected the world over. It is our responsibility to protect that. I believe the government must now engage in deeper, more regular dialogue with political parties and actively seek their input. There is no room for detachment.”
Taiyeb also referred to recent remarks by the Army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, who stressed the need for timely elections. Gen Waker's comments at the “Officers’ Address” event in Dhaka Cantonment this week also reportedly touched on issues like economic corridors, ports, and governance reform.
Taiyeb was critical of the comments, writing: “The Army must not be able to meddle in politics. In today’s world, no military in a civilised country engages in politics. Therefore, the Army chief did not maintain jurisdictional correctness by making a statement on holding an election by December.
"However, the Army must be shown the respect it deserves and it must be relied upon. Nothing can be done hastily on the issue of the Army. Nothing can be done out of stubbornness. Likewise, the rehabilitation of the Awami League cannot be sought in the name of inclusiveness. The Bangladesh Army is a matter of pride and trust -- no one will violate that.”
Taiyeb opined that elections may be held between April and May next year, writing: “I hope that the elections will be held some time in April or May after completing the necessary preparations, but this is my personal opinion. All logical reforms must be completed by then, and the July Charter must be formed. However, according to the roadmap given from December to June, only Sir [Yunus] has the authority to announce the exact date of the elections. No one else can hijack his jurisdiction. When Sir came, he said as he stood at the airport that we have to listen to him.”
“In July-August '25, we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the July mass uprising nationally for two months, In Sha Allah. And I also hope that the first verdict of the trial of the dictatorial murderer Hasina will see the light of day by August. In Sha Allah, we will not lose, we cannot lose.”
