Muhammad Yunus, who heads the interim government in Bangladesh, is now aiming for a five-year term, according to sources, as the military pushes for elections in the Southeast Asian country where a deadly protest had led the government to collapse last year.
Yunus's critics say he is trying to extend his stay in power using pressure tactics, with his supporters rallying against nationwide elections. Capital Dhaka has been wrapped in posters demanding "reforms first, elections later" and to "keep Yunus in power for five years".
The Nobel laureate was appointed the Chief Adviser to the interim government that was formed after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina last year. The makeshift arrangement was to last until elections, but critics claim he's now trying to stay in power without facing the elections.
Yunus has repeatedly shied away from announcing elections and reportedly threatened resignation amid political and military pushback over a proposed Rohingya Corridor that his critics claim has the support of the United States.
This has caused a churn in the country's political landscape. His supporters have planned a rally called 'March For Yunus' in Dhaka today.
The developments follow Yunus's meeting with Nahid Islam, who now heads the National Citizens' Party (NCP) and has been part of the interim government and the face of the protests last year.
Yunus's critics argue that he is now trying to extend his stay with the help of Islamic hardliners who are using the students' movement as a proxy.
The Rohingya Corridor
Local media have attributed Yunus's resignation threat to the stiff opposition to his plans to build a Rohingya Corridor in Bangladesh. Critics claim the corridor idea has been backed by the US and is being fronted by the UN.
But the Bangladesh Army maintains that only an elected government with the mandate of the people can decide on issues related to the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has scoffed at the idea during an interaction with army officers, dismissing it as a "bloody corridor".
Differences over this Rohingya Corridor had led to Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary's resignation earlier this week, sources say, suggesting that Yunus now finds himself cornered and with charges that he is acting at the behest of foreign players.
The Yunus-military imbalance emerges from the Army's strong push for elections. Voting should be held by December, the Army chief said, making it difficult for the 84-year-old economist to hang on to power.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Hasina's arch-rival Khaleda Zia, maintains a neutral stand. While it does not want Yunus to resign, it has called for elections by December, arguing that the mandate for the interim government is to govern temporarily till elections are held.
