DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Awami League party alleged that Chief Advisor to the interim government Muhammad Yunus’ recent statements have once again exposed his own contradictions and insecurities, warning that the country faces a profound democratic crisis.
The party made the remarks following Yunus' recent interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, founder of international media outlet Zeteo, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in which the Chief Advisor tried to portray the Awami League’s status as a “suspension” rather than a ban.
Slamming Yunus, the Awami League said, “If a political party cannot organise, campaign, or contest elections, it has effectively been banned. Calling it a suspension is nothing more than a rhetorical trick, designed to soften the reality for international observers questioning his government’s democratic legitimacy.”
“Trying to defend the suspension of the Awami League, Bangladesh’s largest political party, Yunus stumbled into word games, insisting the party is not ‘banned’ but merely ‘suspended’. This absurd claim reveals two things at once: he does not fully grasp the democratic consequences of his actions, and he is terrified of the Awami League’s ability to regain strength at any moment, ” the party added.
The Awami League stressed that Yunus attempted to justify authoritarian decisions by twisting language, revealing that he is neither confident in the interim government’s legitimacy nor committed to the democratic principles he pretends to uphold.