Yunus ministry

An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus was formed on 8 August 2024 in Bangladesh, following the Resignation of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024 amid nationwide protests against the government. Following the dissolution of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad on 6 August 2024, the interim cabinet will remain in office until a new Prime Minister is appointed after a snap general election. The government, like the previous non-caretaker government interim administrations, is extra-constitutional. However, Appellate Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh affirmed the legality of the stopgap government on 9 August 2024, stating that the doctrine of necessity created an urgent need to manage state affairs and address the constitutional vacuum, similar to previous cases. The main pledge of his ministry is to forge consensus about and implement fundamental reforms that are required to hold a free and fair general election and a constitutional referendum on the July Charter alongside the election on 12 February 2026.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to Yunus and his council of advisers at Bangabhaban on 8 August 2024. The cabinet currently consists of 1 [Chief Adviser (Bangladesh)|Adviser (Bangladesh)|Chief Adviser], 20 Advisers, 8 Special positions under the Chief Adviser's office and 5 Special assistant to the Chief Adviser with the status of Minister of State. The Jamuna State Guest House is serving as the official residence of the Chief Adviser.

Background

On 5 August 2024, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina resigned and went on a self-imposed exile to India amidst a nationwide uprising. Initially focused on issues such as quota reforms, the movement gradually intensified following reports of violence and mass casualties. The uprising, later referred to as the July Revolution, culminated in calls for Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet to step down. The movement was widely perceived as pro-democratic in nature.
Following her resignation, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman and President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the formation of an interim government. The president initiated discussions with political leaders across the country and dissolved the parliament on 6 August 2024. The Students Against Discrimination, lead organisation of the uprising, proposed economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who was then residing in Paris, to head the interim government. Yunus accepted the proposal, and the interim government was finalized on 7 August 2024.

Formation and timeline

8 August 2024

Muhammad Yunus was appointed by the President Mohammed Shahabuddin as the Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh.
16 individuals were also appointed as advisers to the interim government by the President:
# Salehuddin Ahmed
# Asif Nazrul
# Adilur Rahman Khan
# A. F. Hassan Ariff
# Md. Touhid Hossain
# Rizwana Hasan
# Sharmeen Murshid
# Faruk-e-Azam
# M Sakhawat Hussain
# Supradip Chakma
# Bidhan Ranjan Roy
# A F M Khalid Hossain
# Farida Akhter
# Nurjahan Begum
# Nahid Islam
# Asif Mahmud
Yunus was sworn in by the President at the Bangabhaban. Along with him, 13 of the 16 appointed advisers also took the oath, also administered by the President. It was announced that the remaining three advisers—Supradip Chakma, Bidhan Ranjan Roy, and Faruk-e-Azam would take their oaths at a later time. The oath ceremony was attended by national and international guests, including several ambassadors and the chiefs of the armed forces of Bangladesh—the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff. Senior political figures from various political parties were also present, alongside many other distinguished guests.

9 August 2024

The distribution of ministries and divisions was made public. A total of 27 ministries and divisions were assigned to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. One ministry was assigned to each of the other 13 advisers.

11 August 2024

Supradip Chakma and Bidhan Ranjan Roy were sworn in as advisers by the President.
Following their appointment, the responsibility for ministries and divisions was redistributed among Yunus, Chakma and Roy. One ministry was allocated to each of the two advisers, resulting in 25 ministries and divisions being managed by the Chief Adviser.

13 August 2024

Faruk-e-Azam, was sworn in as adviser.
Following his appointment, a redistribution of ministries and divisions was carried out between Yunus and Faruk. Faruk was assigned a ministry, resulting in 24 ministries and divisions being managed by the Chief Adviser.
Shafiqul Alam, a seasoned journalist and Bangladesh Bureau Chief of Agence France-Presse was appointed as [Chief Adviser's Office (Bangladesh)|Press Bangladesh Civil Service|Secretary to the Chief Adviser] with status of a Secretary.

14 August 2024

Lamiya Morshed, executive director of Yunus Centre and Grameen Healthcare Trust, was appointed as Principal Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Affairs with the status of a Senior Secretary.

16 August 2024

Additional four Advisers—Wahiduddin Mahmud, Ali Imam Majumder, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, and Jahangir Alam Chowdhury were appointed by President Mohammed Shahabuddin and were sworn in on the same day.
Following their appointment, a redistribution of ministries and divisions was carried out between the Chief Adviser and all the Advisers. A total of 10 ministries and divisions were taken charge of by the Chief Adviser. Responsibilities for one ministry each were assigned to many of the other advisers, while some advisers were assigned multiple ministries.
Ali Imam Majumder was appointed as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, a role equivalent to an adviser. In the official document, his role is described as being "Attached to the Office of the Chief Adviser".

22 August 2024

Abdul Hafiz was appointed as Special Assistant to Chief Adviser on Defense and Natrional Integration, a role equivalent to an adviser.

27 August 2024

A redistribution of ministries and divisions was carried out between Chief Adviser and four other advisers, resulting in 6 ministries and divisions being managed by the Chief Adviser.

28 August 2024

Mahfuj Alam, a Liaison Committee Coordinator of Students Against Discrimination was appointed as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser with the status of a secretary.

4 September 2024

Lutfey Siddiqui was appointed as Chief Adviser's Envoy on International Affairs, a role equivalent to an adviser.

10 November 2024

Mahfuj Alam, Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki were appointed and sworn in as Advisers by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban.
Following their appointment a redistribution of ministries and division was carried out, resulting in four ministries and divisions under the Chief Adviser.
Former Inspector General of Police Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Md Sayedur Rahman and M Aminul Islam were appointed as Special Assistant to the Interim Government with the status of Minister of State. They were also given Executive Power over Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education respectively.

19 November 2024

Khalilur Rahman, a former UN official and current member of board of trustees of East West University was appointed as High Representative to the Chief Adviser on Rohingya Issues and Priority Affairs.

21 November 2024

President Mohammed Shahabuddin, appointed AMM Nasir Uddin, a former Secretary as the [Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh|Election Commissioner of Bangladesh|Chief Election Commissioner] and four other Election Commissioners.

20 December 2024

Adviser A. F. Hassan Ariff dies while being in office.
Ministry of Land and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the two ministries under Adviser A. F. Hassan Ariff are shifted to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

20 January 2025

Ali Imam Majumder was given the responsibility of Ministry of Land as additional duty.

6 February 2025

Monir Haidar, a journalist was appointed as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Consensus Building with the status equivalent to a Senior Secretary.

17 February 2025

President Mohammed Shahabuddin amended Rules of Business to include Matters relating to July Mass Uprising under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.

14 July 2025

Sheikh Moin Uddin was given the responsibility of Ministry of Railways as additional duty.

13 November 2025

Ali Riaz a political scientist and Head of Constitutional Reform Commission appointed as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, with the status equivalent to an Adviser.

10 December 2025

Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj Alam resigns from the ministry.
Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting the three ministries under Adviser Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj Alam are shifted to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

11 December 2025

A redistribution of ministries and divisions was carried out between Chief Adviser and three other advisers, resulting in 5 ministries and divisions being managed by the Chief Adviser.

24 December 2025

Khoda Baksh Chowdhury resigned as Special Assistant for Ministry of Home Affairs.

Members

The following is the list of members of the interim government:

Reform commissions

The ministry has formed eleven reform commissions to reform perceived important areas of the government. The Head of Commission will have a status of a Justice of Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
The details of the head of commission and members are as follows.

Councils, committees, and commissions

The Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus formed several new councils, committees, and commissions, and reformed existing ones to manage various areas of the government. The councils, committees, and commissions consists of Chief Adviser, several advisers and government officials. The details about the committees are as follows.

Election Commission

The ministry created a new Election Commission to conduct a snap election. The commission includes 1 Chief Election Commissioner and 4 Election Commissioners. The details are as follows:

Name	Position	Date of Appoinement	Date of Termination	Career Highlights
AMM Nasir Uddin	Chief Election Commissioner	21 November 2024	Currently in Office	Former Secretary
Md Anwarul Islam Sarker	Election Commissioner	21 November 2024	Currently in Office	Former Additional Secretary
Abdur Rahmanel Masud	Election Commissioner	21 November 2024	Currently in Office	Former District and Sessions Judge
Begum Tahmida Ahmed	Election Commissioner	21 November 2024	Currently in Office	Former Joint Secretary
Abul Fazal Muhammad Sanaullah	Election Commissioner	21 November 2024	Currently in Office	Retired Brigadier General of Bangladesh Army

Inquiry Commissions

The government created several investigation commissions to investigate on several incidents. Unlike the reform commissions these commissions are investigation commission.

National Consensus Commission

The ministry formed a National Consensus Commission to decide on the process of reforms suggested by the reform commissions with different political parties and stake holders.

Name	Position in Government	Position in Commission
Muhammad Yunus	Chief Adviser	Chairperson
Ali Riaz	Head of Commission, Constitutional Reform Commission	Vice Chairperson
Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury	Head of Commission, Public Administration Reform Commission	Member
Safar Raj Hossain	Head of Commission, Police Reform Commission	Member
Badiul Alam Majumdar	Head of Commission, Electoral System Reform Commission	Member
Md. Emdadul Haque Azad	Member, Judicial Reform Commission	Member
Iftekharuzzaman	Head of Commission, Anti Corruption Commission Reform Commission	Member

Constitutional legality

In spite of the existence of interim administrations in the 1975–1978 and 1990–1991 periods of Bangladeshi political history, there were significant concerns regarding the legality of an interim government, considering that the Constitution of Bangladesh does not allow for it to exist. The Constitution also forbids ouster clauses, following the doctrine of basic constitutional structure.
The only form of interim government that has been constitutional in the past under the country's law was the Caretaker government system introduced in 1996 through the 13th Amendment but this was overturned by the Awami League regime in 2011 through the 15th Amendment, which repealed the former.
However, with Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing the country amid protests, the Appellate Division of the Bangladeshi Supreme Court has acknowledged the legitimacy of the Yunus government under the doctrine of necessity. The court took the line that Hasina's resignation created a situation for which there was no constitutional remedy. Not only does the Bangladeshi legal system no longer account for transfers of power, but there was an urgent need to oversee state affairs. In essence, the court upheld what essentially amounts to the wording of the 13th Amendment prior to its suspension: "The Appellate Division opined that in accordance with Article 106 of the Constitution, an interim government can be formed with a chief advisor and a few other advisors in the absence of parliament" as per Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan. Hassan himself a staunch supporter of the ousted Awami League, has since resigned as Chief Justice.
Hence, despite the lack of constitutional legality for an interim government, due to extremely broad popular support and the need to ensure that a military junta takeover like in 1975 is prevented, Yunus was sworn in on the night of 8 August 2024. The Yunus government enjoys near-universal recognition from the international community, with many Head of state and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of other nations having congratulated Yunus upon his swearing-in.
On 17 November 2025, the Interim government sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death after being found guilty of committing various crimes against humanity. Hasina condemned the ruling as "biased and politically motivated" and alleged that "the death penalty is the interim government's way of nullifying her party the Awami League as a political force," in a five-page statement released after the verdict.

Reactions

Internal

The nomination of Yunus, who accepted an offer to advise the interim government, has been supported by key figures in the student movement. Students Against Discrimination coordinator Nahid Islam said on 6 August 2024,
Former Member of Parliament and business leader Abdul Kader Azad said in his response,
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) president Hasanul Haq Inu and general secretary Shirin Akhter said in a statement:
Joint General Secretary of the Awami League Mahbubul Alam Hanif has congratulated the interim government, which has taken the oath of office after the ouster of the government led by the party, through a Facebook post. He also urged the government to take strict measures to stop killings, looting and arson attacks across the country.

International

Governments

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Mélanie Joly welcomed the inauguration of the interim government in Bangladesh led by Dr. Yunus.
Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said, "China has noted the establishment of an interim government of Bangladesh and welcomes this".
Prime minister of India Narendra Modi congratulated Yunus after he was sworn in as a chief of the interim government. Modi said, "We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities". Leader of Opposition of India Rahul Gandhi & Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee also congratulated Yunus on being sworn in as the head of Bangladesh's interim government.
A spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope to strengthen Bangladesh–South Korea relations with the interim government.
Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh, Naoki Ito, congratulated and extended their full support.
Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Yunus on his appointment as Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh.
President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu congratulated Yunus on his appointment as the Chief Adviser of the interim government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulates Yunus and his interim Government of Bangladesh.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the interim government of Dr. Yunus. Prime Minister Dick Schoof also congratulated Dr. Yunus, stating, "Our countries enjoy long-standing and cordial ties. I look forward to supporting your interim government and further deepening our cooperation."
Prime minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif wished Yunus great success in guiding Bangladesh towards a harmonious and prosperous future. He looks forward to working with him to deepen cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Many leaders of Opposition Party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also congratulates Interim government of Bangladesh.
President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Yunus. Erdoğan described Yunus as "a friend of Islam and Turkey", adding that "Turkey will continue to provide support in this turbulent time".
Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Matthew Miller told reporters: "We welcome Dr. Yunus's call for an end to the recent violence and we stand ready to work with the interim government and Dr. Yunus as it charts a democratic future for the people of Bangladesh."
President of France Emmanuel Macron congratulated Dr Yunus & extended full support.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer welcomed the Interim Government of the Bangladesh and pledged support.

Organizations

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said, "The EU looks forward to engaging with the new administration and to supporting this critical transition which should be part of a peaceful and inclusive process underpinned by good governance, democratic values and respect for human rights".
An alliance of 255 revolutionary groups and civil society organizations in Myanmar published an open letter congratulating the establishment of the interim government and appealed to Yunus to collaborate with and support the National Unity Government of Myanmar against the State Administration Council.