Yunus sits with political parties as second day of discussions commence

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has sat with political parties to continue what began on Saturday to mitigate the ongoing political discord.

Representatives of 11 parties are in a dialogue with Yunus at his official residence at State Guest House Jamuna since 5:50pm in the first phase of Sunday’s meetings. Another nine parties are scheduled to meet the chief advisor at 7pm.

In the first stage, Yunus is meeting Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Oli Ahmad, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque, Ganosamhati Andolan Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, Rastro Songskar Andolan Chief Coordinator Hasnat Kaiyum, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) Chairman Mohammed Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan (Monju), former Bangladesh Communist Party president Mujahidul Islam Khan Selim, former Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BaSad) convenor Khalequzzaman Bhuiyan, Jatiya Gana Front Convenor Tipu Biswas, Bhasani Janashakti Party Chairman Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Bablu and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) General Secretary Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan.

Later, Yunus will meet representatives of nine Islamic groups, including Islamic orator Sadiqur Rahman, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh chief Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Mamunul Haque, Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Ahmed Abdul Quader, Hifazat-e Islam Bangladesh Joint Secretary General Azizul Hoque, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh Secretary General Monjurul Islam Afendi, Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur, Bangladesh Nizam-e Islam Party Secretary General Musa Bin Izhar and Islami Oikyajote Secretary General Shakhawat Hossain Razi.

On Saturday night, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) held separate meetings with the chief advisor to discuss issues involving the trials of cases related to the July Uprising, election and state reforms.

The BNP later said no promises were delivered regarding a December election in the meeting.

Jamaat asked for a roadmap for reforms along with the elections, but did not mention a time frame. The NCP discussed the July Proclamation along with their demands of justice, reforms and Constituent Assembly elections in their meeting. They urged the government to scrap results of all elections held during the Awami League era through legal steps.

Political analysts say Yunus’s latest outreach to rival parties was a calculated effort to ease the instability that has gripped Bangladesh in recent days—an attempt they believe has seen modest success.

Yet, they warn that unless a clear roadmap for national elections is announced soon, the divisions among key parties may deepen further, fuelling new waves of unrest.

Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, returned from France last August to lead an interim government after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League administration through a mass uprising spearheaded by students.

Over the next 10 months, his administration has largely avoided direct confrontation. However, it now faces sharp criticism over controversial decisions, particularly its stance on allowing a "humanitarian corridor" into Myanmar’s Rakhine state and handing over port terminal operations to foreign companies.

Opposition factions that were once united in the wake of the government collapse—most notably the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the newly formed NCP—have grown increasingly fragmented.

The BNP and NCP also took turns demanding the resignation of some advisors.

On Wednesday, Army chief Waqar-uz-Zaman reportedly spoke in favour of holding elections by December.

As the political winds grew turbulent, swirling speculation over Yunus’s potential resignation as chief advisor compounded the crisis, prompting key political parties to urge him to stay on and lead the country through the transition.