Within weeks of assuming the office of chief advisor in the interim government in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Amman-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre included Nobel laureate and Clinton Foundation’s prime donee Muhammad Yunus in the "The Muslim 500: The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims" publication for 2025. This is despite the fact in 2013, Yunus faced criticism in Bangladesh over comments he made in 2012 supporting gay rights as homosexuality in Bangladesh is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison. It may be mentioned here that in 2012 Prof Yunus, along with three other Nobel laureates, signed a joint statement criticizing the prosecution of gay people in Uganda.

Although Yunus was made chief advisor by the Bangladesh Armed Forces and Army Chief, General Waker uz Zaman, in his address to the nation following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, said the interim government shall hold an election and hand over power to the elected government at the earliest possible time, Yunus has been consistently talking of holding the election only when his reforms plans get fully implemented. Things turned even more confusing when Gen Waker uz Zaman told Reuters that elections will be held within 18 months while Yunus told Voice of America, “When you hear it from our mouths, that will be the actual date. The advisory council has discussed the term of the interim government, but no decision has been made yet.”

Speaking about Gen Waker uz Zaman's recent comment that a transition to democracy should be made within 18 months, Yunus said, "If you want, you can suppose that this is the term of the interim government, but that is not the government's opinion. The government will have to say what its term will be. Unless the government says so, it cannot be considered the term of the government."

Speculation over Yunus' remark

Following this remark, there is speculation in political circles in Dhaka, Delhi and other capitals that the Nobel laureate might be trying to undermine the army chief and prolong his tenure indefinitely despite the fact, one of the main political forces, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has started talking of not granting an indefinite term to Dr Yunus. 

Meanwhile, Yunus' administration is also giving out signals of not letting BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman return to Bangladesh from the UK, which can become a political flashpoint. On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic forces in the country are talking of the giving five or six years to Yunus for holding the next election, despite the fact that Gen Waker uz Zaman’s tenure is expected to end much before that. Yunus himself along with several advisor in his council, particularly two student leaders and Dhaka University teacher Asif Nazrul as well as few of his close aides such as his special assistant, press secretary and deputy press secretary, are said to be in favour of holding the election not before five years, as they are reportedly considering forming an alternative political party under the leadership of Yunus and win the election on the basis of their achievements. This inner circle also is in favour of granting more political space to Jamaat-e-Islami and helping it emerge as the main opposition in parliament, decimating Awami League in the process and substantially minimizing the influence of BNP.

In the meantime, some advisors and members in the inner circle of Yunus are reportedly considering sacking army chief Waker uz Zaman and replace him with any of the Yunus loyalists to ensure – there is no pressure from the army in holding election in the foreseeable future, despite the fact, if such attempts succeed, Gen Waker uz Zaman image as a national hero and beacon of hope of salvaging the nation from the grips of Sheikh Hasina’s fascist rule would be greatly undermined.

During the anti-Hasina movement, while Yunus was abroad busy with his professional matters, General Waker uz Zaman stood with the people, risking his life and career and freeing Bangladesh from 15 years of fascist rule. Unfortunately, just within a few weeks of assuming office, Yunus is not quite acknowledging Gen Waker uz Zaman’s contribution to the "revolution". Instead, he has been giving credit to Hizb Ut Tahrir and other Islamist forces as “heroes” and “main architects” of the anti-Hasina movement. He even made this claim during a program organized by Clinton Global Initiatives.

Although the New York event of Clinton Global Initiatives clearly proved involvement of Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as other influential figures in the Democratic Party, including George Soros, behind the anti-Hasina movement, there seems to be a deeper conspiracy and sinister design in the removal of Sheikh Hasina who may have just escaped with her life to India along with her sister, Sheikh Rehana. Such scenarios have occurred in history multiple times. For instance, the Iranian Revolution saw Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power after being exiled in France, which led to the exile of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Similarly, leaders like Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan and Ziaur Rahman and H M Ershad in Bangladesh were supported by Western powers, who used the Islamic narrative to gain control. Later, these very leaders were manipulated against their own people and Islam. Is Dr. Yunus following a similar path? One of the Pentagon’s core foreign policies is to use one Muslim to kill another Muslim.

In 2024, the key figure who prevented a repetition of the tragic events of 1975 was none other than General Waker uz Zaman. Additionally, he played a vital role in safeguarding Bangladesh from unwarranted Indian interference. Although there is criticism regarding the current interim government’s role, especially their reluctance to relinquish power, General Waker’s decision ensured that Bangladesh remained independent of external influence during that critical period.

Need to be aware of history 

Let’s now focus on the trap that Yunus has fallen into. The Western world is presenting Dr. Yunus as a revolutionary Muslim leader, and during a Clinton Foundation event in the US he introduced two young coordinators of the protest movement to the global stage. As a young person, I felt proud of this moment, but the story does not end there. One of these coordinators was a bearded man, and the other wore a hijab. As a Muslim, I felt proud, but as a political analyst, it didn’t take long to understand the Western political play here. Dr. Yunus, a man who champions LGBTQ rights globally, is being supported by Islamist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam, etc. Do these Islamist groups understand this contradiction, or are they blinded by their hunger for power? .

Those who are welcoming external forces by promoting Yunus should re-examine history. Yunus is being seen by many as a Morsi figure for Bangladesh. When Mohamed Morsi came to power in Egypt following the Arab Spring with Western support, it led to deterioration of law and order, spike in the prices of essential goods, and extreme public suffering. Even after two months of Yunus' interim government, there has been no significant improvement in law and order, market stability or public well-being. One important thing we must keep in mind is that the US supported both Morsi and later Abdel Fatah el Sisi, the present Egyptian strongman. Just like in 1971, when the U.S. opposed Bangladesh's independence but later helped rebuild the country, history may repeat itself in ways one does not anticipate.

One must understand the fine line between politics and patriotism, where leaders like General Waker rise to safeguard the nation's sovereignty, while others like Dr Yunus may inadvertently become pawns in a much larger geopolitical game. It serves as a reminder to scrutinize the true motivations of leaders, especially those who seek international recognition over national loyalty.

While Sheikh Hasina's fall has saved the nation from fascist rule, it is extremely disconcerting for many that the US may turn Bangladesh into a client state by keeping Muhammad Yunus as a frontman in power for an indefinite length of time.

(The author is a political analyst in Bangladesh. Views are personal. He can be reached at writetomahossain@gmail.com)