Dhaka: A new revelation has come to light regarding the change of power in Bangladesh in August 2024. New questions are now being raised regarding the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government and the process of making Mohammad Yunus the head of the interim government. Former AFP journalist Shafiqul Alam has claimed that efforts to establish contact between student leaders and Mohammad Yunus had started even before Sheikh Hasina left power.
According to Shafikul Alam, an AFP journalist played the role of mediator in this entire process. After his revelation, the debate has intensified regarding the background of the July-August 2024 movement and change of power in Bangladesh.
Had preparations for change of power started even before Hasina’s step down?
According to Shafiqul Alam, in August 2024, when the anti-Sheikh Hasina movement was at its peak, student leaders were looking for a person who could convey their message to Mohammad Yunus. Kadaruddin Shishir, editor of AFP’s fact-check team, took up the responsibility of this sensitive task.
Alam wrote in a social media post that Shishir first contacted Yunus on behalf of the student leaders and facilitated initial talks between the two parties. This entire work was done in a very confidential manner.
Who was Shafikul Alam and what did he claim?
Shafiqul Alam has been the former press secretary of Yunus and a former journalist of AFP. He said that Shishir had carried out this entire contact campaign while sitting in the AFP office in Dhaka. At that time, the intelligence system of Sheikh Hasina’s government was active and if such conversations came to light, it could have created problems for the people concerned.
According to Alam, during this time, Shishir had also started the work of collecting videos and evidence related to the alleged action of the government. He described this entire process as extremely risky.
Was there any strategy already prepared behind the student movement?
The July-August 2024 movement in Bangladesh started against reservation in government jobs. Gradually it turned into a big mass movement against the government of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina had to leave the post of Prime Minister and leave the country. She reached Hindon Air Base in India. A day later, student leaders proposed to make Mohammad Yunus the chief advisor of the interim government. On 8 August, Yunus took charge of the interim government.
However, Shafikul Alam’s claim does not prove that the entire movement or the plan for the change of power was ready in advance.
When did Yunus leave the post of interim government?
Mohammad Yunus left the post of Chief Advisor to the interim government on 16 February 2026. After this, a new government was formed under the leadership of Tariq Rehman. During Yunus’ tenure, many student leaders associated with the movement got a place in the government. Now this new revelation by Shafikul Alam has once again intensified the discussion about the incidents of change of power in Bangladesh and the strategy behind it.
