Yunus ministry | |
---|---|
Interim government of Bangladesh | |
8 August 2024-present | |
Date formed | 8 August 2024 |
People and organisations | |
President | Mohammed Shahabuddin |
Chief Adviser | Muhammad Yunus |
Total no. of members | 21 |
Member party | Independent |
Status in legislature | Dissolved |
History | |
Election | - |
Outgoing election | TBA |
Predecessor | Hasina V |
An interim government led by the Yunus ministry was formed on 8 August 2024 in Bangladesh, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 3 days prior in the face of nationwide student-public protests against the government. Following the dissolution of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad on 6 August, the interim cabinet will remain in office until a new prime minister takes over after a snap general election. The government, like the non-CtG interim governments in the country's past, is extra-constitutional, but the constitutional non-partisan caretaker government system was abolished from the constitution as well by the Awami League regime in 2011. However, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh affirmed the legality of the stopgap government on 9 August 2024 "in the urgent need to run the state affairs to fill in the constitutional vacuum in the state".[1][2][3]
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to Yunus and his council of advisers at Bangabhaban on 8 August 2024.[4] The government currently has 20 advisers and one chief adviser. The Jamuna State Guest House is being used as the official residence of the chief adviser, as the Gonobhaban, which was previously used by the prime minister as her official residence, was vandalized by protesters on 5 August 2024.[5]
The non-cooperation movement,[a] also known as the one-point movement,[b] was a protest against the Government of Bangladesh, initiated within the framework of the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement. The sole demand of this movement was the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet.[6][7]
Although initially limited to the goal of reforming quotas in government jobs, the movement snowballed into a mass anti-government uprising after the deaths of several protesters. The movement was also fueled by ongoing socio-economic and political issues, including the government's mismanagement of the national economy, rampant corruption by government officials, human rights violations, allegations of undermining the country's sovereignty by Sheikh Hasina, and increasing authoritarianism and democratic backsliding.[8][9][10][11][12]
On 3 August 2024, coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement announced a one-point demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister and her cabinet and called for "comprehensive non-cooperation".[13][14] The following day, violent clashes broke out, resulting in the deaths of 97 people, including students. The coordinators called for a long march to Dhaka to force Hasina out of power on 5 August. That day, a large crowd of protesters made its way through the capital.[15] At around 3:00 p.m. (UTC+6), Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, her government's biggest ally.[16] Widespread celebrations and violence occurred following her removal, while the military and President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the formation of an interim government led by economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.[17] Meanwhile, Indian media was seen engaging in a widespread disinformation campaign aimed at destabilizing Bangladesh, following Hasina's resignation and departure to India.[18][19]The following lists the chief adviser and the special assistant(s) to the chief adviser:
Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Ref | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Adviser's Office | |||||||||
Chief Adviser and also in-charge of: Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Nobel Peace Prize awardee (2006) for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance which helped alleviate poverty. | ||||||
16 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Cabinet Secretary |
The following lists the advisers of the interim government:[21][22][23][24][25]
Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Ref | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advisers to the Interim Government | |||||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Professor, Department of Law, University of Dhaka | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Chief Executive of BELA | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Key coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Key coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Election Commissioner of Bangladesh, Retired Brigadier General of Bangladesh Army | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Professor & Deputy Amir of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh[26] | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Acting Managing Director of Grameen Bank | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Deputy Attorney General of Bangladesh and founder of Odhikar | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Attorney General of Bangladesh | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Founding Executive of UBINIG | ||||||
Adviser for: | 8 August 2024 | Incumbent | Chief Executive Office of Brotee | ||||||
Adviser for: | 11 August 2024 | Incumbent | Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board | ||||||
Adviser for: | 11 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Director-cum-Professor of National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital | ||||||
Adviser for: | 13 August 2024 | Incumbent | Liberation War veteran and a Bir Protik | ||||||
Adviser for: | 16 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Secretary of Power Division | ||||||
Adviser for: | 16 August 2024 | Incumbent | Economist and Member of the UN Committee for Development Policy | ||||||
Adviser for: | 16 August 2024 | Incumbent | Former Director General of Bangladesh Rifles |
There was significant concerns regarding the legality of an interim government, considering that the Constitution of Bangladesh currently does not allow for interim governments to exist, and the Constitution forbids ouster clauses, following the doctrine of basic constitutional structure. In essence, this means there is no law or ruling that could make this interim government legally legitimate.
Previously interim governments were possible and Constitutional under Bangladeshi law before 2012, because of the 13th Amendment but the Awami League government repealed the Amendment in 2011.[27] With the Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country without announcing a replacement,[28][29] this creates an impossible situation for the Bangladeshi legal system because it can no longer account for transfers of power without elections since the 2011 changes. The repealement of the 13th Amendment makes it legally impossible for Caretaker governments like Yunus' to exist. That being said, the Appellate Division of the Bangladeshi Supreme Court has acknowledged the necessity of the Yunus government and ruled in favour of what essentially amounts to the wording of the 13th Amendment prior to its suspension: “The Appellate Division opined that in accordance with Article 106 of the Constitution, an interim government can be formed with a chief advisor and a few other advisors in the absence of parliament.” as per Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan.[30] Hassan himself a staunch supporter of the ousted Awami League, has since resigned as Chief Justice.[31]
Regardless of the technical illegality of a non-Party interim (caretaker) government, due to extremely broad popular support and lack of legal alternatives other than an equally illegitimate military junta, Yunus was sworn in on the night of August 8, 2024.[32][33] Yunus' government enjoys broad international support and is seen as legitimate by the international community, with many heads of state and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of other nations having congratulated Yunus upon having been sworn in as the new Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh.[34][35][36]
We have decided that the interim government would be formed in which internationally renowned Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, who has wide acceptability, would be the chief adviser
— Nahid Islam, [39]
"The primary and main task of the interim government is to bring back normalcy and peace in public life by restoring law and order in the country immediately. Let there not be a single incident of loss of life, attack and destruction of property in the country."
— Hasanul Haq Inu & Shirin Akhter