Wahiduddin Puts Rumours to Rest: Yunus Staying

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is definitely staying, he is not leaving and he did not say that he would leave, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud confirmed on Saturday.

Dispelling speculation about a leadership change in Bangladesh’s interim government, the planning adviser came up with the comment after a long unscheduled meeting of the council of advisers behind closed doors immediate after the meeting of ECNEC at the NEC Conference Room. 

“The Chief Adviser is not leaving. He never said he would leave. He is definitely staying,” Wahiduddin told reporters while leaving the venue. “We have been entrusted with a significant responsibility, and we cannot abandon it.”

Wahiduddin Mahmud conveyed the Chief Adviser’s commitment to overcoming obstacles hindering the interim government’s reform agenda and the path to national elections. He outlined a collaborative strategy to address challenges and ensure a transition to a well-governed democratic system.

“We are examining obstacles faced across various sectors, identifying their sources, and assessing barriers to advancing reforms in ministries,” Wahiduddin said, summarising Yunus’s remarks. 

“Our work for the upcoming elections and a democratic transition is extensive. We’ve identified where these obstacles originate and will rally all forces of the people’s movement and state institutions to achieve this goal.” 

He emphasised that the responsibility is collective, not solely the interim government’s. “We were entrusted with this duty, not here by choice. We will not abandon it, but we need to pinpoint the barriers.”

Wahiduddin called for unity among political parties, the administration, judiciary, and institutions, urging their cooperation to drive progress. “This is not our burden alone,” he stressed. “We want everyone’s support to move forward.”

When pressed on discussions about the national election timeline, Wahiduddin remained tight-lipped, saying, “I have nothing more to add. We will focus on identifying all obstacles.” 

The meeting, chaired by Yunus, included other interim government advisers, though details of the discussions were not disclosed.

Usually the meetings of ECNEC follows a briefing by the planning adviser but it was cancelled on Saturday.