The Tamesis
March 3, 2026
Dhaka – Ahead of the February 12 national elections, the interim government declared then-Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus a “Very Very Important Person” (VVIP) for a term of one year from the date of handover of responsibilities.
The communiqué was issued on February 10, 2026, two days before the 13th National Elections.
The communiqué was issued by the Office of the Chief Counsel and signed by Md Saifullah Panna, then Secretary, CA Office. Panna is currently affiliated with the Ministry of Public Administration.
Panna confirmed to Prothom Alo that she signed the document.
As a result of this appointment, Dr Yunus will be under strict security protection by the Special Security Forces (SSF) for one year.
He has been granted this status under Section 2(a) of the Special Security Forces Act, 2021, the bulletin said.
Section 2(a) of the law states that “‘Person of High Importance’ means a foreign Head of State or Government and includes any other person declared by the Government by notification in the Official Gazette for the purposes of this Act.”
The law does not automatically grant SSF protection to outgoing heads of state unless they are declared VVIPs.
The interim government did not publish the communiqué. It was not uploaded to the Bangladesh government news website, which archives all communiqués issued by the government and is updated daily.
As a VVIP, Dr. Yunus will now get SSF protection at his residence and workplace under the President, Prime Minister or Chief Advisor and VIP Security Rules 2025.
All events he attends will be subject to security checks and full security will be provided during all travel within Bangladesh and abroad, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local embassies.
SSF will also conduct background checks on staff who frequently come into contact with VVIPs, and the entry and exit of all visitors, vehicles and items to VVIP residences, offices or event venues will be strictly supervised.
Dr. Yunus left the Jamuna State Guesthouse on February 28, 2026, after staying for nearly 18 months.
On August 5, 2024, the government led by Sheikh Hasina collapsed due to the July uprising, and an interim government was established on August 8 with Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser.
