Two Advisers Asked to Quit as Pressure Mounts on Yunus Govt from BNP, Jamaat

Bangladesh Interim Govt Faces Strain as Two Student Advisers Asked to Resign Amid BNP, Jamaat Pressure.

Bangladesh’s interim government, headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, is facing growing instability after two student representatives on the advisory council were asked to step down ahead of the national elections scheduled for February 2026.

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam and Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sojib Bhuyain, who had risen to prominence during last year’s student-led protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government, were reportedly asked to resign, government sources told Dhaka-based Prothom Alo.

The move follows pressure from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, who accused several advisers of bias toward the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by leaders of last year’s uprising. Both Alam and Bhuyain were seen as closely aligned with the NCP, raising concerns among rival parties over the neutrality of the interim government.

Mahfuj Alam, who initially served as special assistant to Yunus before joining the 23-member advisory council on November 10, was assigned the Information Ministry after Nahid Islam left to form the NCP. Asif Mahmud, formerly overseeing the Labour and Youth & Sports ministries, was reassigned to the Local Government Ministry.

Alam has expressed a desire to remain in government but is not contesting the elections, while Bhuyain had already planned to resign before election dates were announced.

BNP officials demanded the removal of advisers perceived as partisan, and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher accused certain advisers of plotting against his party. The NCP, however, criticized the decision to target only the two student advisers, calling it unfair.

The episode underscores the delicate balancing act Yunus faces to maintain neutrality and credibility ahead of the general elections. On Thursday, Yunus reassured leaders from both the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami that the interim government is committed to ensuring free and fair elections. “You can remain confident about our neutrality. We have already taken several measures and will introduce more to ensure a credible election,” he said.