As Bangladesh Shifts To Elected Government, Is It Going To Be President Yunus?

As Muhammad Yunus's term as Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh comes to an end, speculation is growing about what role he may take up next.

Social media is abuzz with talk of him continuing in the political system in a constitutional position, possibly with the support of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government set to take office on Tuesday.

Tarique Rahman believes in involving the best minds in the country, his advisor Humayun Kabir told NDTV. Kabir said Rahman hasn't finalised any role for anyone, including Professor Muhammad Yunus, but he wants to consult capable people to help shape the country's future.

Speaking to NDTV, Tarique Rahman's International Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir said, "There was no discussion on any defined role. The discussion was more based on Tarique Rahman Sahab's interest in inclusive governance. He is interested in governing the country inclusively and he wants to use all the talents available to him if elected to government."

"There are many ways in which your expertise, your experience, your distinguished international stature can be utilised for the country. He didn't define any particular role but post elections at some convenient point he is looking to consult some of the eminent citizens of the country and as part of that, it is a norm that with Professor Yunus can have discussions," Kabir added.

"In politics, nothing is impossible. Tarique Rahman will take decisions that will take forward the country and that puts the country on a good footing, domestically and internationally. So, he is willing to play his best players and simply doesn't want to restrict his development vision simply serving party purposes. He can potentially broaden the net. He has the mindset to do that. He doesn't hesitate on the country' interests. If there is a need and he sees somebody has the expertise, he will bring the person onboard," Kabir said, referring to the interactions between Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman. 

Kabir however reiterated that, "No defined role has been discussed till date." 

Columnist David Bergman, who writes extensively on Bangladesh, has said Bangladesh could benefit from Muhammad Yunus as President because of his strong international standing. 

In a post on X, Bergman wrote, "A Yunus presidency could arguably benefit Bangladesh considerably. Despite domestic criticism from certain groups, he continues to command considerable respect internationally, and no other Bangladeshi figure possesses comparable global stature. A domestic focused Prime Minister operating with an internationally-minded President could be what the country needs."

Bergman also says that the post of President was on the table in discussions between Tarique Rahman and Muhammad Yunus. But both Tarique Rahman's team and Muhammad Yunus's Press Secretary have denied that any such conversation has taken place. 

Having run the country since Hasina's ouster, rehabilitating Muhammad Yunus in a commensurate government/constitutional role may be a challenge. Sources say Yunus could be an asset for Tarique Rahman when it comes to diplomacy and international organisations, to forward Bangladesh's interests. 

Shafiqul Alam, Muhammad Yunus's Press Secretary has completely denied the reports of Yunus seeking any role beyond his term as Chief Adviser of the Interim Government. Speaking to NDTV, Alam said, "His future plan is to return to his old job. He would obviously like to spread his vision of three zeros (zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions). He travels across the world and talks about this vision. He is going to set up some new social business enterprises. He talks about it and he has expressed his interest in working with the young people."

"He has zero interest in politics. No constitutional role, nothing. He wants to go back. He thought he was given a very important job at a crucial time for the country and he steered the country towards peace and stability. He has achieved most of the goals that he had set. The power will be handed over to the new government," Shafiqul Alam reiterated. 

At this point, Yunus himself has not spoken on his future but he is likely to accept a proposal that he thinks is commensurate with his stature, having been the head of government in his country. Yunus is likely to openly talk about his plans after he demits office as Chief Adviser of the Interim Government and hands over power to the newly-elected Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman.