The chief adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, apparently perturbed by the current political situation marked by frequent street protests and bickering among parties, told his cabinet colleagues on Thursday that he would not continue in his position if the situation remained unchanged.
After the cabinet meeting, which was held in the morning for about an hour, Professor Yunus conveyed his frustration and discussed the situation with his cabinet colleagues for more than three hours in his office, where he said he had opted to quit, according to sources close to the cabinet.
He also said that he had drafted his letter of resignation.
As Professor Yunus initiated the discussion with his cabinet colleagues, all government officials were asked to leave the meeting room, the sources said.
The sources quoted housing and public works adviser Adilur Rahman Khan as saying that he had also agreed with Professor Yunus and opted to quit, terming the situation insulting to them.
Several other advisers also agreed with Adilur Rahman.
Information adviser Mahfuj Alam, according to the sources, at a stage, said that he had also agreed with the others, but added that had the chief adviser quit, the country would be in trouble, and he had requested Professor Yunus not to take any decision that might lead the country into dire
straits.
Earlier on Wednesday, the chief of army staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, also expressed his dissatisfaction over the political situation during an 鈥極fficers鈥� Address鈥� at Dhaka Cantonment, where he said that general elections should be held in December this year.
He also reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the government鈥檚 intention to establish a humanitarian channel to Myanmar鈥檚 state of Arakan, as requested by the United Nations.
Professor Muhammad Yunus took charge as the chief adviser of the interim government on 8 August last year, after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India amid a mass uprising joined by people from different walks of life.
Since Yunus assumed office, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and several other parties insisted that Yunus, who opted for massive reforms in different sectors, should immediately hold the general elections and hand over power to an elected political party.
Several other parties, mainly the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and the newly formed National Citizens Party, insisted that elections should be held after the completion of all reforms.
Though Professor Yunus more than once announced that the elections would be held by June next year, the BNP repeatedly urged him to announce a complete roadmap to the elections.
Professor Muhammad Yunus conveyed his frustration at a time when hundreds of BNP workers took to the streets in different parts of the capital, including Kakrail Road leading to his official residence Jamuna, where they blocked the road, creating traffic chaos around the city in support of their demand for administering the oath to Ishraque Hossain as mayor of Dhaka South City and the removal of three advisers.
Immediately after Thursday鈥檚 developments, law adviser Asif Nazrul, who is currently out of the country on an official trip, was informed by his cabinet colleagues about the intent of the chief adviser.
Asif Nazrul spoke to BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who is currently in Singapore, and informed him of the situation over the phone.
Although the High Court delivered a verdict on Thursday paving the way for Ishraque鈥檚 oath, both Fakhrul from Singapore and the party鈥檚 acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, from London, asked their protesting party supporters to leave the roads near Jamuna, and they complied in the afternoon and postponed their programme.
Later in the evening, a National Citizen Party leader confirmed to 抖阴精品 that NCP convener Nahid Islam met with the chief adviser at 7:00pm to discuss the ongoing political situation and reported that the chief adviser intended to resign.
鈥業 do not want to hold on to power if the necessary atmosphere is not there in the country,鈥� one of the top NCP leaders quoted Professor Yunus as saying during the meeting with Nahid Islam, also a former adviser to the interim government.
Before making such a decision, Nahid Islam urged the chief adviser to consider the aspirations that had emerged following the July uprising, the commitment demonstrated during that period, the trust the people across the country had placed in him, and the significance of maintaining national unity, the NCP leader said.
Jamaat amir Shafiqur Rahman on Thursday evening also called on Professor Yunus and requested the chief adviser to convene an all-party meeting to help resolve the country鈥檚 emerging crisis party sources said.
The appeal was made during an emergency meeting of Jamaat central executive council at the party鈥檚 central office at Moghbazar in Dhaka, the sources said.
