Senior Supreme Court lawyer Mohsin Rashid, Jatiya Party General Secretary Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary, and media personality Dr. Abdun Noor Tushar have launched scathing criticism of former Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of authoritarian behaviour, institutional humiliation, and turning Bangladesh into a “mob-ruled” state during his interim tenure.
In a hard-hitting episode of Kaler Kantho’s regular talk show “Kaler Songlap,” their discussion centered on President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s recent exclusive interview with Kaler Kantho, in which he publicly detailed alleged repeated humiliations, deliberate sidelining, and attempts to remove him from office under the Yunus-led interim government (August 2024–February 2026).
Welcoming The President’s Candour
Abdul Noor Tushar opened by describing the president’s interview as a welcome and unprecedented step. “No previous president has presented themselves so openly to the media,” he said. He argued that the head of state, as guardian of freedom of expression, must have the right to speak freely. “If the guardian cannot speak, how can he protect others’ rights?” Tushar urged that if more revelations are forthcoming—potentially even leading to resignation—the president should continue sharing to ensure the public receives accurate information about the past 18 months.
Institutional Disrespect And Personal Arrogance
Tushar and Mohsin Rashid repeatedly portrayed Yunus as arrogant and lacking basic etiquette despite his Nobel laureate status, higher education, and global recognition. They claimed that awards, wealth, and power cannot mask inner character flaws.
– No farewell visit to the president upon leaving office, though he used the president for oath-taking.
– Massive self-portraits in his buildings, while allegedly allowing the president’s portraits to be removed from high commissions.
– A personal living museum inside his institution for public viewing—seen as extreme self-love.
Rashid stressed that the presidency is not an individual but an institution integral to all three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial). “Humiliating the president means humiliating the state,” he said.
Power Abuse And Conflict of Interest
Panelists accused Yunus of systemic misuse of power:
– Converted the Chief Adviser’s office into an extension of his Yunus Centre, appointing relatives (including a nephew) and associates, despite publicly opposing nepotism.
– Granted tax exemptions and licenses to his own entities (e.g., bringing Grameen under microcredit laws for tax waivers not otherwise available).
– Allocated telecom spectrum to Grameenphone opaquely.
– Issued ordinances and executive orders at will, bypassing or pressuring the president.
– Signed secret international agreements without informing the president, using administrative officials to execute them.
Tushar described this as treating laws and institutions as disposable tools—a “use and throw” attitude.
Incitement Of Mob Violence And Double Standards
Mohsin Rashid and others accused Yunus of actively encouraging mob culture:
– Public statements urging people to “resist” opponents and questioning where their “zeal” was.
– Mobs allegedly appeared whenever someone disagreed with him.
– Failed to control violence despite holding state power, bearing responsibility for not stopping it.
They highlighted perceived hypocrisy: Yunus advocated rule of law and term limits for elected prime ministers (no more than two terms), yet he said: “People want me for 5, 10, 50 years.” He allegedly insulted local doctors and professionals while importing foreign ones for himself and associating with “quacks.”
Conspiracy Claims And Army Tensions
Patwary alleged Yunus was deeply involved in the conspiracy to oust Sheikh Hasina, citing European Jamaat-e-Islami links and PR firms using code names (e.g., Nahid as “Ellen” or “Nasim”). He claimed Yunus delayed his return by three days, knowing chaos (police killings, massacres, mobs) would follow.
He further alleged the interim regime initially opposed elections, attacked the army to remove General Waker-uz-Zaman (who favoured polls), and wanted to install a revolutionary or Taliban-style government. BNP’s maturity and army backing reportedly prevented the president’s removal.
The panelists concluded that Yunus’s tenure severely damaged his credibility in Bangladesh and proved the country would not become “Singapore or Bangkok” under him, instead drifting toward instability. They urged the new government to review all ordinances, secret agreements, indemnities, and alleged abuses of power (including ICT tribunal changes) through open parliamentary discussion and commissions.
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