No place for Hasina’s fascist Awami League in Bangladesh politics for now, Yunus tells FT

Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has levelled strong accusations against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, labelling it as "fascist" and asserting that it currently has "no place" in the country’s political landscape.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Wednesday, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate openly stated his opposition to the Awami League. 

Yunus clarified that his interim government had no immediate plans to seek Hasina’s extradition from India, which for the moment may avoid fuelling diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and its neighbour.

“In the short run, definitely she has no place – the Awami League doesn’t have a place – in Bangladesh,” he told the British daily.

“They controlled the people, they controlled the [political] machinery, they controlled the institutions to enhance their interest,” Yunus added. 

“No fascist party should be in existence in a democratic system.”

Since Hasina’s ouster on August 5, there have been debates within Bangladesh over the party's future, whether it should be temporarily suspended from politics, required to make reforms or banned outright.

Yunus speculated that the Awami League could disintegrate on its own, stressing that any formal decision regarding its future would not fall to his administration, which he said was "not a political government." 

The ultimate decision regarding the Awami League’s participation in future elections would be left to a "consensus" among political parties, he said. “They have to decide their political space.”

His cabinet, which includes two student leaders, is setting the stage for an election. The government has already established 10 reform commissions tasked with overhauling key institutions, including the judiciary, police and civil service.

Yunus, who said he had no interest in entering politics or forming a political party, refrained from providing a specific timeline for elections. 

“Our job is to get things settled and get a new reform agenda done. When the election preparation is done, we will consult with political parties.”

Yunus indicated his administration would pursue Hasina’s return only after a verdict was reached by the International Crimes Tribunal, which issued arrest warrants for her and 45 associates earlier this month. 

“She is charged with crimes against humanity… when the verdict comes out, we’ll try to get her back through the extradition treaty” with India, Yunus said. “I don’t think we have a case to do that before a verdict is done,” he added. 

Notably, Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, told the FT in August that his mother was prepared to answer any allegations, saying she had done “nothing illegal.”

Talking about concerns over the safety of Hindus in the country, Yunus acknowledged some incidents of anti-Hindu violence and a "very small number" of deaths but maintained that they had been targeted based on their Awami League affiliation, not their religious identity. 

“Most of the Hindus [attacked in August] supported the Awami League,” he said, adding that critics had “transformed the narrative.”

Yunus said the lack of support from New Delhi, a key partner in terms of shared projects and historical ties, had “hurt” his government. 

He added that Modi would be “most welcome” to visit.

“We tried to… emphasize the fact that we are neighbours, we need each other, we must have the best relationship that any two neighbours should have,” Yunus told the FT.