New Delhi [India], May 26 : Former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Veena Sikri on Sunday claimed that the speculation about Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus resigning was "complete drama" to distract from the statement of Bangladesh Army chief about conducting elections.
"The question about Muhammad Yunus resigning was a complete drama. He had no intention of resigning at all, and in fact, he never said himself that he would resign," the former High Commissioner told ANI.
Saying that on May 21, Bangladesh army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman had held discussions with other army officers in which they insisted on conducting elections at the end of 2025.
"It was just a drama meant to divert attention away from what the army chief and all the army officers had said to him. On the 21st of May, the army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman had invited all the army officers and the discussion was held with all the army officers and then he came out with five points and in those five points there was one very clear point that the army is insisting that elections must be held in Bangladesh by the end of this year," she said.
She said that earlier, after the ousting of Sheikh Hasina, it was the Army General who agreed that Yunus could be sworn in as head chief advisor, but the interim government has no authority to do reform.
"This is only an interim government and not even a caretaker government. They have no authority to do reform, do they have authority to change the constitution, they have no such authority," she said.
Earlier on May 24, Yunus quashed all rumours about his resignation or leaving the country, as an unscheduled meeting of the Advisory Council was held on Saturday, after the National Economic Council meeting.
The meeting discussed the three primary responsibilities--elections, reforms, and justice--assigned to the interim government.
"The interim government will listen to the statements of political parties in this regard and clarify the government's position," the Advisory Council said in a statement after the meeting.
The meeting was held at the Planning Commission in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of the capital under the chairmanship of Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The meeting discussed in detail how the normal working environment is being disrupted and doubts and suspicions are being created in the public mind by making various unreasonable demands, motivated and extra-judicial statements and programs in the discharge of these responsibilities, the statement said.
"The Advisory Council believes that greater unity is needed to keep the country stable, advance the election, justice and reform work and permanently prevent the arrival of dictatorship in this country," it added.
The statement said that the interim government will listen to the statements of political parties in this regard and clarify the government's position.
Several political parties, including Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have been demanding parliamentary elections by December. However, the National Citizens Party (NCP), a new party led by students who led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, wants fundamental reforms before the elections.
The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, is allegedly supporting the NCP. The BNP activists have taken up a protest in front of Jamuna, the residence of the Chief Adviser, in Dhaka, demanding the removal of two student advisers from the interim government's cabinet.