Cheif Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has labelled the Awami League—the political party of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina—as embodying “all the characteristics of fascism” and asserted that it has “no place” in Bangladesh’s politics in the near term.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Dr Yunus, voiced his position on the future of the Awami League, Bangladesh’s oldest and largest political party, following its downfall through a student-led uprising in August.
Dr Yunus clarified that his administration would take a stringent stance against the former prime minister's party while refraining from immediate extradition efforts to bring Hasina back from India, a strategy aimed at averting heightened diplomatic tensions with Bangladesh’s influential neighbour.
“In the short run, definitely she has no place—the Awami League doesn’t have a place—in Bangladesh,” Yunus remarked.
“They controlled the people, they controlled the [political] machinery, they controlled the institutions to enhance their interest. No fascist party should be in existence in a democratic system.”
Accusations have long circulated against the Awami League for allegedly manipulating elections, conducting extrajudicial actions, and compromising state institutions during Sheikh Hasina’s more than 15-year administration.
Following her departure, the people of Bangladesh are contemplating whether the Awami League should be temporarily suspended, mandated to reform, or banned outright from the political arena.
While Yunus speculated that the party might disband naturally, he emphasised that his interim administration, not being a “political government,” would not intervene directly in such matters.
Decisions regarding the League’s participation in future elections would be left to a “consensus” among political factions. “They have to decide their political space,” he added.
Although his administration is preparing for new parliamentary elections, Yunus refrained from providing a timeline, stating, “Our job is to get things settled and get a new reform agenda done.”
His interim cabinet, comprising two student leaders, has established ten commissions to reform key institutions such as the police, judiciary, and public administration.
Sheikh Hasina’s precise location in India remains unknown, though Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, a former MP and organising secretary of the Awami League, expressed readiness for the party to participate in future elections.
The 84-year-old Dr Yunus, a former economics professor known as the “banker to the poor” for his pioneering work in microcredit through Grameen Bank, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
His longstanding rivalry with Hasina was widely viewed as an antagonistic campaign waged by her administration.
Dr Yunus noted that Sheikh Hasina would eventually be sought for extradition only after the issuance of a verdict by a domestic criminal tribunal, which recently issued an arrest warrant for Hasina and 45 others on charges of crimes against humanity.
“She is charged with crimes against humanity . . . when the verdict comes out, we’ll try to get her back through the extradition treaty” with India, Yunus stated.
“I don’t think we have a case to do that before a verdict is done.”
Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, previously refuted these allegations in an August statement, claiming his mother was not responsible for the recent unrest and was prepared to face any charges, as she “did nothing illegal.”
The August overthrow of Hasina’s regime strained Bangladesh's relationship with India, a country with strong economic, historical, and infrastructural ties to Dhaka.
Yunus mentioned that India’s stance had “hurt” his government, though he noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be “most welcome” to visit.
“We tried to . . . emphasise the fact that we are neighbours, we need each other, we must have the best relationship that any two neighbours should have,” he stated.
Following the regime change, many Awami League supporters have gone into hiding or fled the country.
A yet-undisclosed number lost their lives during retaliatory actions by members of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and others affected by the prior regime.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health reported approximately 800 fatalities, including protestors, bystanders, and police, though human rights organisations have not corroborated Indian claims of mass atrocities against Hindus.
Yunus acknowledged isolated incidents of violence against Hindus, clarifying that these individuals were targeted primarily for their Awami League affiliation, not due to their religious identity.
