Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to Bangladesh's interim government, has criticized the political party of deposed leader Sheikh Hasina, accusing it of displaying "all the traits of fascism." The Nobel Peace laureate, aged 84, was quoted by the Financial Times as saying, "In the immediate future, there's no place — the Awami League has no place — in Bangladesh."

Yunus asserted that the Awami League had "controlled the people, the political mechanisms, and institutions to serve its own interests." He added, "In a democratic system, no fascist party should exist."

Yunus informed the UK-based Financial Times that the interim government would not immediately pursue the extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India. According to the FT, Yunus mentioned that his government would address her return after a ruling by the International Crimes Tribunal, which issued an arrest warrant for her and 45 others earlier in October. "She's charged with crimes against humanity... when the verdict is announced, we’ll work to bring her back through the extradition treaty with India," he explained. "I don’t think there’s a case to proceed before a verdict is reached."

The report noted that political opponents and human rights organizations have accused the Awami League of manipulating recent elections, engaging in extrajudicial actions, and monopolizing state institutions during Sheikh Hasina's more than 15-year tenure.

Since her departure, debates have emerged in Bangladesh on whether the Awami League should be temporarily barred from politics, required to undergo reforms, or be banned entirely, according to the FT report.