Bangladesh's Yunus says no elections before reforms

Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus focuses on reforms before elections, aiming to prevent a return to autocracy.

Bangladesh's interim leader has refused to give a time frame for elections following the ouster of his predecessor, saying in an interview published Tuesday (October 8, 2024) that reforms are needed before polls.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was appointed the country's "chief advisor" after the student-led uprising that toppled ex-premier Sheikh Hasina in August.

The 84-year-old microfinance pioneer is helming a temporary administration, to tackle what he has called the "extremely tough" challenge of restoring democratic institutions.

"None of us are aiming at staying for a prolonged time," Mr. Yunus said of his caretaker government, in an interview published by the Prothom Alo newspaper.

"Reforms are pivotal," he added. "If you say, hold the election, we are ready to hold the election. But it would be wrong to hold the election first."

Ms. Hasina's 15-year rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

More than 600 people were killed in the weeks leading up to her ouster, according to a preliminary United Nations report which said the figure was likely an underestimate.