Bangladesh interim government ends as Muhammad Yunus resigns

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has formally stepped down as the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, bringing to a close a transitional administration that has led the nation since August 2024.

The interim government’s tenure is set to conclude with the swearing‑in of a new elected government on February 17, 2026.

Yunus, 85, who headed the interim administration after a mass popular uprising ousted Sheikh Hasina’s long‑ruling government in August 2024, delivered a farewell address to officials and staff on February 16, marking the end of his government’s nearly 18‑month tenure, as per reported by Dhaka Tribune.

Yunus on Monday bid farewell to officials and staff at his office, a day before the new cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony. 

After his address, he joined employees for a group photograph, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha quoted his spokesperson as saying. 

Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman also called on Yunus to bid him farewell, bdnews24.com reported. Yunus thanked the Army chief for the armed forces’ cooperation during the general election. 

His tenure will formally conclude tomorrow following the oath-taking of the new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). 

The BNP, headed by chairman Tarique Rahman, secured a commanding 209 of the 297 seats in the 13th Parliamentary elections held on February 12. 

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin is expected to administer the oath to newly elected members of parliament at 10 am, while President Mohammed Shahabuddin will swear in the new BNP cabinet at 4 pm. 

Rahman is set to take over as prime minister, replacing the interim government led by Yunus, during whose tenure Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi saw a marked downturn.