Steps taken by the interim government of Dr Mohammad Yunus like banning Awami League, removing the picture of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rehman from currency notes and erasing from textbooks the role of Awami League in freedom struggle reflect a paradigm shift in Dhaka's narrative about a political party which spearheaded the country's freedom movement.

Around a year has passed since Dr Yunus took the reins of government following the exit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power and her taking refuge in India. Finally succumbing to pressure, Dr Yunus announced the holding of general elections in April 2026. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which suffered Sheikh Hasina's wrath for more than 15 years initially supported the Yunus regime but then took an aggressive stance against it, urging Yunus to announce elections at the earliest.

Why has BNP, a beneficiary of Sheikh Hasina's exit from power, turned against Dr Yunus? What is the future of the banned Awami League? How are the fault lines in Bangladesh related to its economy, politics, governance, military and India are deepening its predicament? Dr Yunus has recently made it clear that elections will be held in April 2026 but his opponents are not ready to trust him and allege that he is trying to prolong his rule by amplifying controversial issues like banning Awami League, giving space to Islamist political parties and groups and relying too much on China for supporting the country's economy.

In order to gain some credibility for his regime, Dr Yunus in late 2024........

© The Express Tribune