'Under house arrest for 18 months': Bangladesh President accuses Yunus of turning presidency into a captive office

(FILES Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus (C) taking the oath of office as the chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government during the oath-taking ceremony administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin (L) in Dhaka on August 8, 2024. (Photo by Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP)

Bangladesh President Shahabuddin accused Muhammad Yunus’s interim government of sidelining him, violating constitutional norms, restricting his movements, blocking traditions, and attempting to force his resignation, but he vows to serve until 2028 unless asked by the BNP.

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Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has delivered one of the most severe criticisms yet of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, accusing it of sidelining the presidency, violating constitutional norms, and deliberately isolating him for more than 18 months.

In an exclusive interview with the Bengali daily Kaler Kantho, Shahabuddin described his experience as being “as if I was under house arrest in this palace,” referring to Bangabhaban, the official presidential residence. He said that restrictions placed on him during Yunus’s tenure even interfered with long-standing presidential traditions tied to the Eid festivals.

Shahabuddin lamented that he was barred from attending the National Eidgah Maidan to participate in Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha prayers, which he said had been a national tradition since Bangladesh’s independence. “The President participates in the holy Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the National Eidgah Maidan, this tradition has been going on since the country’s independence. But Dr Yunus’s government has put obstacles in that tradition,” he told the newspaper.

Describing his treatment as humiliating and isolating, the president recounted how the interim government restricted his travel, including for medical reasons. Although he underwent bypass surgery at the National University Hospital of Singapore, a follow-up appointment was blocked when he requested to return to Singapore for treatment. “In response, I was directly prohibited,” Shahabuddin said, adding that a similar denial occurred when he sought to travel to London’s Cambridge Parkway Hospital.

Shahabuddin also expressed frustration over Yunus’s foreign trips and policy decisions. He alleged that despite constitutional requirements to brief the president on foreign visits and major state actions, Yunus travelled abroad at least 14 times without official consultation or reporting. “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.

He further claimed that even significant international agreements, including a US trade deal, were concluded without his knowledge or written notice. “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.

Allegations of marginalisation and institutional isolation

President Shahabuddin said that the interim regime went beyond poor coordination and actively worked to diminish his role and visibility. He accused Yunus’s government of blocking invitations for him to attend international engagements, with officials drafting letters on his behalf declining invitations without his approval. “A letter was prepared saying I was extremely busy with state work and therefore could not attend. No discussion was held with me before preparing it,” he said.

Shahabuddin also alleged that his public presence was suppressed. He said that his official photographs were removed from Bangladeshi diplomatic missions abroad and that his office press wing at Bangabhaban was dismantled after a routine meeting with newly elected journalists was reported in the media. “They forcefully removed three officials, the press secretary, deputy press secretary and assistant press secretary. Even photographers who had worked here for 30 years were withdrawn. We cannot even issue a press release now,” he said.

Unconstitutional ouster attempts and pressure to resign

The president claimed there were sustained efforts to force him out of office so the interim government could install a more compliant figure. “Their main objective was to break me mentally so that I would resign voluntarily, allowing them to unconstitutionally install someone of their choice and delay elections or cling to power,” Shahabuddin said. He said that at one point advisers tried to convince a former chief justice to replace him, but the judge refused, citing constitutional principles.

Shahabuddin described an October 22, 2024, incident in which mobs attempted to storm Bangabhaban during political unrest, saying the army ultimately restored order. “My blood may be shed at Bangabhaban, but I will preserve constitutional continuity,” he said.

Support from armed forces and opposition

Despite immense pressure, Shahabuddin said that leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and high-ranking military officials expressed their support for upholding constitutional continuity and opposed his unconstitutional removal.

Shahabuddin clarified that while he felt stifled and resentful during Yunus’s rule, he now felt “relaxed” with the return of an elected government. He emphasised that he had no intention of resigning before the end of his term in 2028, unless the newly elected BNP government explicitly requested it.

His remarks reflect a broader political narrative in Bangladesh as the country transitions from two years of interim governance marked by controversy over constitutional norms and institutional roles