New Delhi: Muhammad Yunus, the caretaker of the interim government in Bangladesh, has assured that an election in his country would be held next year. With plenty of uncertainty over the Awami League on whether it could contest or not, it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is the frontrunner.
The BNP wanted an election before December 2025, but the interim government has said that it would require time until next April, as there are some reforms to be implemented. However, during a meeting between Yunus and the BNP’s Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the party, it was decided that elections could be held by February 2026.
Yunus and his supporters are clear that unless and until the reforms are implemented, there shall be no elections. The reforms include constitutional reforms, busting judicial freedom, press freedom, and, more importantly, changes to the electoral processes.
India, on one hand, is closely watching the developments and has repeatedly said that Bangladesh needs to have a democratically elected government in place. The question that arises is whether Bangladesh is ready for elections and can the reforms that Yunus and the National Citizen Party (NCP) are talking about can be implemented before February 2026.
The ouster of Sheikh Hasina took place due to a mass uprising of students. During those protests, the security forces used extreme force against the protesters. Hence, the people first want those in the security establishment who were loyal to Hasina brought to justice.
Last year, a UN fact-finding mission had found that officials in Bangladesh’s former government and the security agencies had committed serious human rights violations against the protesters. It noted that grave crimes against humanity had been carried out. There have been hundreds of cases filed against these officials after Hasina fled the country August 5, 2024.
While the Awami League says that these cases are politically motivated, the fact is that the people have lost trust in the security apparatus of the country. It is the lack of trust in the security mechanism that has led to violence and mayhem daily.
If this is the situation now, then one could imagine what the case would be at the time of elections, as political parties tend to get extremely violent in a bid to control booths.
Due to the lack of trust, the army is unable to control the violence. Due to this, it is acting with caution, and this is no good for the law and order situation in the country. This is why it is important that those involved in crimes be brought to book in a bid to win over the faith of the people.
Adding to the complex situation is the fate of the Awami League and whether it will be able to contest the elections. The country’s Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said that the Awami League could contest the general elections unless the interim government or judiciary bans it from doing so.
There is a big question mark on the Awami League’s contesting the general elections. Yunus is against the party, and so are the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the NCP. IF the Awami League is barred, then one could expect major violence as the party still has a considerable base across the country. Its strongholds are in the rural areas and among the minorities and women. Banning it from contesting could only cause more harm than good.
For a smooth election, the interim government has ensured that those who have committed criminal acts must be brought to justice. The army and other security apparatus must be held accountable for the faith of the people to be restored. A bar on the Awami League would mean a landslide victory for the BNP.
With such a majority on hand and having been out of power for such a long time, there would be no doubt that the party would run an autocratic regime.
IANS
