Dr Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor to the Interim Government, recently gave an in-depth interview to Al Jazeera, discussing topics such as the July Revolution, former authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flight to India, and the corruption of the previous government.
The interview aired on Al Jazeera on Sunday, April 27. During the conversation, Al Jazeera journalist Nyeve Barker asked Dr Yunus several questions regarding Sheikh Hasina.
In response to one question, Dr Yunus shared that during the BIMSTEC summit, he had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He told Modi that if Hasina remained in India, she should remain silent, as her statements could cause problems. However, Modi replied that he couldn't control what people say on social media, as it's open to everyone in India. If Sheikh Hasina posted something, he couldn't prevent it.
When asked about Sheikh Hasina's claim to still be the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and how the interim government views her statements from India, Dr Yunus said, "The BIMSTEC summit was in Bangkok, where I met with Prime Minister Modi. I told him clearly that if you want to keep Sheikh Hasina in India, that's beyond my control. But while she's there, it would be better if she refrained from speaking, because her comments stir up issues. She provokes the people of Bangladesh, and we are left to deal with the fallout."
The journalist then asked what Modi had said in response. Dr Yunus explained, "He told me that India is a country where social media is open to everyone, and he couldn't control it."
The journalist also inquired about the likelihood of elections being held in December or June of the following year. Dr Yunus replied that if the political parties agree to a "short reform package," national elections could be held in December. However, if a "large reform package" is needed, elections would take place in June next year.
