With the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh basking in global legitimacy, a look at the political fault lines back home provides a clear picture, writes Arnav Raje.
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and interim Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, touched down in London Tuesday morning as part of his four-day official visit to the United Kingdom. Yunus will add another feather in his cap on Thursday when he would receive the Harmony Award 2025 from the King at St. James’ Palace.
While the award has captured headlines, the real action lies in Yunus’ packed itinerary. He is meeting Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the Secretary-Generals of both the Commonwealth and the International Maritime Organisation. He also delivered a major speech at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, on Wednesday. These are not just diplomatic pleasantries. They are part of a carefully choreographed political and diplomatic strategy, combining international engagement with domestic positioning ahead of Bangladesh’s 2026 elections. They reflect a broader bid by Yunus to entrench his legitimacy on the international stage as a transitional figure who promises to shepherd his nation towards “free and fair” elections after years of democratic backsliding, creating a “new Bangladesh” as he would like.
This is Yunus’ eleventh official foreign visit in ten months, underscoring how central international opinion is to his leadership strategy. And London isn’t just any capital: it is home to over half a million people of Bangladeshi origin, many of whom play active roles in both British and Bangladeshi politics. This visit, then, is as much about international validation as it is about diaspora diplomacy and electoral influence.
The Awami League’s Fury
The Awami League – the Bangladeshi ruling party until it was sidelined by the massive student protests, exiling its leader and erstwhile PM Sheikh Hasina to India, has responded with open hostility. The party sent a formal letter to Downing Street, accusing Yunus of leading an “unelected and unconstitutional” regime, asking the UK government not to lend legitimacy to him by hosting high-level meetings. The letter also raised concerns over Yunus’ crackdown on Awami League leaders and supporters, and his aggressive anti-corruption campaign, which the party claims is politically motivated.
The tension isn’t merely on paper. Demonstrations have been organised across London during Yunus’ visit, including outside Chatham House on Wednesday and Parliament on Thursday. Protesters accuse the interim government of silencing the country’s largest party, calling the political transition a thinly veiled power play.
Further nuance comes with Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate Tulip Siddiq, who also happens to be Hasina’s niece – extending an invitation to Yunus for a “lunch or afternoon tea” in Parliament. Siddiq has been accused of being complicit in laundering funds for her aunt’s administration, going as far as issuing an arrest warrant. Her request for an audience with Yunus was a move to clear any “misunderstandings”, which Yunus has expectedly not responded to – in a move to protect the integrity of his narrative.
Yunus’ Bid for Legacy
For Prof. Yunus, this visit is a showcase of statesmanship. He has positioned himself as the antidote to years of political decay – promising reforms, transparency, and credible elections. His administration’s focus on recovering stolen national wealth (an estimated \$16 billion laundered abroad) and repositioning Bangladesh as a **manufacturing and investment hub** has earned him support among urban youth and international stakeholders.
In London, he has emphasised his role in ensuring an electoral process free from coercion. But critics argue that his actions contradict his rhetoric. The suspension of Awami League activities, bans on their rallies, and criminal proceedings against several of its leaders while courting other major parties like BNP are seen by many as selective justice.
BNP and the Shadow Dealings
Yunus’ relations with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – historically Awami League’s main rival — are undergoing recalibration. Just weeks ago, Yunus’ decision to push the election date to April 2026, against BNP’s demand for a 2025 vote, had sparked discontent among senior BNP figures and segments of the army. But this week, Yunus is expected to meet BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, who has lived in exile in London for nearly two decades.
This meeting could mark a potential detente, smoothing tensions and possibly even forging a temporary electoral understanding. However, it raises serious concerns over Yunus’ impartiality. While he declares that the 2026 elections will be the “first real elections” in nearly two decades, his administration has already sidelined Awami League – the party that, despite credible accusations of authoritarianism and corruption, still remains the largest political force in the country.
The implication is alarming: an election landscape dominated by BNP and minor parties, with no meaningful opposition, undermines the very democratic ideals Yunus claims to restore. Worse still, the BNP’s own track record, especially its Islamist leanings and role in fuelling minority-targeted violence, casts a shadow over this transition. Recent months have seen an uptick in atrocities against Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, particularly after the student movement backed by BNP gained traction.
Awami League, for all its flaws, was seen as tolerant towards Bangladesh’s minorities. Its absence from the political scene may create a dangerous void – one that could be exploited by the very forces Yunus says he stands against.
Dr Yunus’ UK visit is a study in contrasts – diplomatic applause abroad, potential democratic distress at home. It reflects the growing international desire to stabilise Bangladesh, but also the risks of prioritising elite consensus over political inclusiveness. With elections less than a year away, the choices made in London this week may ripple across Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong for years to come.
