Cracks Appear In Yunus Govt As 2 Advisers Asked To Step Down Amid BNP, Jamaat Backlash

Last Updated:October 23, 2025, 21:03 IST

Mahfuj Alam and Asif Mahmud were the two advisers asked to step down from Yunus' council amid accusations of partisan affiliations by the BNP and Jamaat.

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. (Reuters)

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, is showing signs of growing instability as two advisers, who have been representing the students since the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina government, were asked to step down.

Information and broadcasting adviser Mahfuj Alam and local government adviser Asif Mahmud Sojib Bhuyain were asked to step down ahead of the upcoming national election in February 2026, government sources told Dhaka-based Prothom Alo.

This came after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami had asked for the removal of several advisers in the interim government, citing their suspected bias for the National Citizen Party (NCP), which was founded by leaders of the uprising against Sheikh Hasina last year.

Both Mahfuj Alam and Asif Mahmud were responsible for toppling Hasina’s government during the student-led protests last year. They were elevated to the 23-member advisory council led by Yunus.

Sources told Prothom Alo that Mahfuj Alam has expressed his wish to remain in the government and showed no interest in the upcoming election, while Asif Mahmud had already declared that he would resign before the poll dates are announced.

BNP, Jamaat Pressure Behind Decision

Mahfuj Alam initially served as special assistant to Yunus before being sworn in as an adviser on November 10. He was allocated the information ministry after Nahid Islam left the advisory council to form the NCP. Meanwhile, Asif Mahmud oversaw the labour and youth and sports ministry before being reassigned to local government ministry.

These student representatives were perceived to be closely aligned with the NCP, often serving as informal consultants to the party. The BNP had demanded the removal of advisers with partisan affiliations that undermined the neutrality of the government.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s nayeb-e-ameer, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, also accused some advisers of engaging in conspiracies against his party. His remarks were seen targeting advisers seen as close to the NCP, whose growing influence has unsettled several parties.

However, the NCP said the advisory council was formed with representatives nominated by several political groups and asking only the two student advisers to step down is unacceptable. This issue was raised by NCP leaders during their meeting with Yunus on Wednesday, a source told Prothom Alo.

The development highlighted political pressure on Yunus’s interim government and a delicate balancing act to appease all parties ahead of the general election next year.

Meanwhile, Yunus assured on Thursday assured the leaders of NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami that the interim government would take all necessary steps to ensure free, fair and impartial elections in February. “You can remain confident about our neutrality. We have already taken several measures to hold a free, fair and credible election and you will soon see many more initiatives," he said.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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News world Cracks Appear In Yunus Govt As 2 Advisers Asked To Step Down Amid BNP, Jamaat Backlash

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