CA Dr. Yunus Did Not Say ‘Ban on Awami League's Activities’ Would Be Lifted

The statement ‘The ban on Awami League's activities may be lifted at any time’ was not made by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus during his interview with British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan for Zeteo. The news, published by several media outlets, including The Ittefaq, Kaler Kantho, Jugantor, NTV, Desh TV, and Channel i Online, quoting Dr. Yunus is incorrect.

In the interview, Dr. Muhammad Yunus actually stated that the Awami League ‘cannot do any political activity’ and will not be able to participate in the upcoming election. In his words, ‘the election commission has decided, seeing the pos- possibilities and the characteristics of the party, that will disrupt the whole election, so they thought it's better not to allow’.

For the sake of clarity, he further stated, ‘Otherwise, we cannot hold election.’

However, regarding the ban on the Awami League's activities, when he used the term ‘for the time being’, he meant ‘until the International Crimes Tribunal completes the trial of the party and its leaders’. This decision to ban all activities of the Bangladesh Awami League until the trial of the party and its leaders is completed at the International Crimes Tribunal was made at a special meeting of the Interim Government's Advisory Council on May 10th of this year. (Source: ‘Awami League activities banned until trial completed’, Prothom Alo [English], May 10, 2025, Online Edition).

Therefore, in the interview with Mehdi Hasan, the Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, referred to the period ‘until the trial is completed’ as ‘for the time being’. And by saying ‘any time it could be opened’ or ‘possibility’ of ‘unsuspend them’, he meant the period following the completion of this trial, not the present time or the election period.

Below, BanglaFact provides the English transcript of the relevant part of the discussed interview:

Mehedi: Um, since Hasina's ousting, your government has banned her former party. Uh, the Awami League, suspended their registration, effectively banned them from participating in the next elections. This was despite your fellow Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen, who you know very well. He warned against banning the league, saying it would simply be a repeat of the previous government's mistake, which came to office and banned their opposition. You're just repeating the cycle. What is your response to that line of criticism from Sen and others?

Dr. Yunus: It's their own criticism because we have not banned the Awami League.

Mehedi: I mean, you suspended their registration.

Dr. Yunus: No, not the registration. Simply activities has been suspended.

Mehedi: What does that mean?

Dr. Yunus: Meaning that they cannot do any political activity.

Mehedi: So then you have basically... I mean, they can't run for office.

Dr. Yunus: No, no, the party's still there.

Mehedi: Can they run for office?

Dr. Yunus: Not now. But the activities are banned.

Mehedi: Okay, so how is that not what Amartya Sen is warning against?

Dr. Yunus: So they remain, they remain valid as a party.

Mehedi: Okay.

Dr. Yunus: So, but activities for the time being is suspended.

Mehedi: And what-

Dr. Yunus: I mean, any time it could be opened.

Mehedi: You mean you could unsuspend them?

Dr. Yunus: Unsuspend. That's a possibility.

Mehedi: So you haven't banned the party, you've just said-

Dr. Yunus: Banned the party…

Mehedi: ... for now-

Dr. Yunus: Yeah.

Mehedi: ... you can't participate in elections.

Dr. Yunus: That's right.

Mehedi: But how is that democratic to ban a group of people from participating in elections?

Dr. Yunus: Well, that's, uh... And the election commission has decided, seeing the pos- possibilities and the characteristics of the party, that will disrupt the whole election, so they thought it's better not to, uh, allow.

… Otherwise, we cannot hold election.