During an interview with British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera’s talk show Head to Head, while attending the UN General Assembly, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus said that although there are mixed opinions about the tenure of the interim government, its primary goals remain threefold—reform, justice, and elections.
In response to Mehdi Hasan’s questions, Dr. Yunus said: “Some people say stay for five years, ten years, even fifty years. Others ask why elections are being delayed. So, there are two kinds of opinions among the people.”
He further added: “We are an interim government. No one has defined how long we will stay. But according to the people’s movement, we must complete the reform agenda. If we only hold elections, the old system will return. Therefore, we must first ensure that the roots of fascism are completely uprooted, so that a new structure can be built where the previous type of government cannot come back.”
Explaining the decision to move the election timeline to early February, Dr. Yunus mentioned that Ramadan was the main reason for this adjustment. He emphasized that along with reforms, judicial processes and election preparations are simultaneously underway.
The Chief Adviser also discussed the Rohingya crisis and issues related to the ban on the activities of the Awami League during the interview.
👉 Overall, Dr. Yunus made it clear that the interim government’s top priority is not just holding elections, but implementing reforms to establish a new political framework.