Yunus says 'Hasina destroyed everything' in Bangladesh, polls to be held only after reforms

Bangladesh interim government’s head, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, has held the regime of Sheikh Hasina responsible for the destruction of “everything” in the country.

Yunus also said that general elections will be conducted in the country only after bringing constitutional and judicial reforms.

"The country's governance structure has been completely destroyed during Hasina's 15-year rule, and a huge task has fallen on us to rebuild it by restoring democracy, economic stability, and public trust," said Yunus while speaking with Nikkei Asia, as reported by PTI.
 
The 84-year-old Nobel laureate added that comprehensive reforms need to be introduced by Bangladesh in economy, governance, bureaucracy, and judiciary before conducting elections.

Yunus further said that he will appeal to India to extradite Hasina after her trial in the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh comes to an end.

Also Read: India condemns breach of Bangladesh Assistant High Commission premises in Agartala

"Once the trial concludes and a verdict is reached, we will formally request India to hand her over," said Yunus.

He added that, as per an international law signed by both countries, "India would be obligated to comply."

The chief adviser further said that the concern raised by the Indian government regarding the safety of Hindus is not fact-based.

On Tuesday (December 3), Bangladesh had summoned the Indian envoy to its Foreign Office after announcing the suspension of consular services at its mission in the Indian city of Agartala, one day after the protesters breached the premises.

The relations between the two nations have been strained since Sheikh Hasina was ousted as the prime minister in August and took shelter in India, after which New Delhi raised concerns regarding the welfare of minorities in its neighbouring country. The issue was further escalated by the arrest of the Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das last week.

Muhammed Yunus calls for reforms in Bangladesh

In the interview, Yunus said that the interim government of Bangladesh has set up various commissions for reforms in areas like the electoral system, constitution, and judiciary.

He added that full-scale reforms will be implemented by the government by January after it receives recommendations from the commissions.

Watch: UK Issues Travel Advisory For Bangladesh Amid Unrest In Bangladesh

"Implementing these reforms will take time, as we are essentially building a new Bangladesh from scratch," Yunus said. He further ruled himself out from contesting future elections.

"No, I'm not a politician. I've always stayed away from politics. The country's governance structure has been completely destroyed during Hasina's 15-year rule, and a huge task has fallen on us to rebuild it by restoring democracy, economic stability, and public trust," he said, in the interview.

"Under her rule, democratic principles were entirely disregarded. She orchestrated sham elections with no voter participation for three consecutive terms, declaring herself and her party the winners unopposed and operated as a fascist ruler," Yunus added.

(With inputs from agencies)