'There were attempts to...': Bangladesh president Shahabuddin alleges interim government under Yunus pressured him
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'There were attempts to...': Bangladesh president Shahabuddin alleges interim government under Yunus pressured him")
Mohammed Shahabuddin Photograph: (AFP)
Mohammed Shahabuddin accuses Muhammad Yunus of breaching protocol, blocking engagements, and excluding him from key state decisions and foreign affairs
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has alleged that former chief adviser Muhammad Yunus sidelined the presidency and failed to follow constitutional procedures by not updating him on major state affairs. In an interview with Bengali daily Kaler Kantho, Shahabuddin said Yunus repeatedly travelled abroad without briefing him upon return, as required by the constitution.
“The constitution says that whenever he goes on a foreign visit, he must meet the President after returning and inform me in writing about the discussions and outcomes. He travelled abroad 14 to 15 times but did not inform me even once,” he said in the interview. The president described feeling sidelined and disrespected by the interim administration. He pointed to the dismantling of his press wing and the removal of his portraits from Bangladeshi missions overseas as examples of what he termed deliberate marginalisation.
Shahabuddin also said that he was kept in the dark regarding the recent tariff agreement between Bangladesh and the United States, saying he received no formal or informal communication about the matter. “I knew nothing about it. Such a state agreement must be communicated to the President. That is a constitutional obligation. But he neither informed me verbally nor in writing,” Shahabuddin said.
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Although the interim government was formed through his initiative, Shahabuddin claimed there was little coordination afterward. He further alleged that certain figures linked to the mass uprising had pushed for his removal from office, though the BNP leadership backed him during that period. “They had expressed their willingness to uphold the constitution all through that time. I had a lot of curiosity around BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, but with time, I got to know him as a genuine person. He was so cordial. BNP’s support was 100% there in my bad time,” he said.
The president additionally claimed there was an attempt by the interim government to replace him with a former chief justice. According to Shahabuddin, an adviser held discussions with the ex-chief justice regarding assuming the presidency, but the proposal was declined. “I got to know that an advisor of the interim government met the ex-chief justice and held discussions. The person, however, refused to take up the role, saying ‘The President holds the highest position in the government and I can’t unconstitutionally take that seat’.”
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Shahabuddin also alleged that his planned foreign engagements were obstructed without prior consultation, accusing Yunus of attempting to limit his public visibility. He revealed that he was once asked to sign a letter drafted by the government declining an invitation from Qatar.
“However, I sent a counter-letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs questioning the move. In it, I strongly condemned such unethical behaviour of the Ministry. I even wrote to the Foreign Affairs Advisor to ensure that such things do not happen in the future. But, they never responded to this.” Despite tensions with the interim government, Shahabuddin said he chose to stay in office to safeguard constitutional order and continuity.
