
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday questioned interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s recent claim that the people of Bangladesh still consider a caretaker government as the best solution to the country’s political crisis.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday following separate meetings with political allies—NAP-Bhasani, Amjanatar Dal, and the Bangladesh Peoples Party—at the BNP chair’s office in Gulshan, Khasru challenged Yunus’s statement made in an interview with Al Jazeera.
‘Who are these ‘people’ he is referring to?’ Khasru asked. ‘If by ‘people’ he means a specific privileged group that is acting against democracy and the people’s right to vote by manipulating electoral reforms, then that is something we must question.’
Yunus, in an interview aired by Qatar-based Al Jazeera on Sunday, stated that the people of Bangladesh still favours a caretaker government and added that reforms should be implemented based on consensus, with elections held no later than June 2026.
Rejecting the notion of waiting for a ‘superhuman’ to fix the country’s political issues, Khasru said, ‘The people of Bangladesh did not continue struggle and make sacrifices over 16 years to hand over power to a saviour figure. They fought to restore democratic order, voting rights, and ownership of the state.’
Addressing the electoral situation, the BNP leader emphasised that over 50 parties, including the BNP, have called for elections to be held before December. He stressed the need for immediate reforms and urged the Election Commission to announce a roadmap and fix a date for the polls.
‘Once again, the term ‘people’ is being loosely used,’ he said. ‘If it refers to those benefiting from the current system at the cost of democracy, that must be clearly acknowledged.’