Mohammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Several political parties in Bangladesh on Wednesday (December 4, 2024) urged Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus to hold early election in the country. The discussion between delegations of leading political parties and the Chief Adviser took place during a meeting that. Prof Yunus had called to to seek suggestion from political parties on how to counter what was described as “aggression against the nation”. The meeting however did not include the Awami League and its allies.

“Election has its own dynamics and announcement of election will activate public enthusiasm. That will be helpful for the country and that is why we raised the matter though it was not on the main agenda of today’s meeting with Chief Adviser,” said Amir Khosru Mahmud Choudhury, standing committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to The Hindu over a phone call from Dhaka.

Also read | Bangladesh’s Yunus says no elections before reforms

Since taking power in August, Prof. Yunus has met with the political parties on multiple occasions but this is the first time that such a large meeting was held under the interim government. Prof. Yunus had promised to hold consultation with political parties for shaping the path ahead for election but it is not yet clear if a future election would include the Awami League and its allies who were in power till 5 August.

The meeting was called to seek suggestions from political parties about what strategy the interim government should adopt to steer Bangladesh-India relationship especially in the backdrop of vandalism in the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Tripura’s capital Agartala.

“There is sustained propaganda on various media platforms of India that are very harmful for bilateral relation with India and we feel that a certain quarter in India that was the main supporter of the Sheikh Hasina government is unable to come to terms with the changes that have taken place in Bangladesh,” said Amir Khosru Mahmud Choudhury summing up the themes that were discussed in the meeting.

Also read | Hasina mounts stinging attack on Muhammad Yunus for current situation in Bangladesh

The meeting however gave a hint of the direction of the emerging outline of the party system as Wednesday’s meeting did not include the Awami League and its allies like the Jatiyo Party of the late General Hossein Mohammed Ershad. Following the meeting, adviser of law affairs Asif Nazrul said, the meeting did not include Awami League and its allies who he described as “fascist parties”.

“Apart from the fascist Awami League government and their allies, all political parties of Bangladesh participated in the meeting. There were difference of opinions among us but we were united in our approach to safeguard independence, sovereignty and honour of Bangladesh,” said Mr Nazrul who is widely regarded as one of the leading spokespersons of the interim government. Asif Nazrul alleged that anti-Bangladesh activities are being supported in India.

“The meeting condemned India’s attempts to establish cultural hegemony over Bangladesh and its economic harassment of our country. It also condemned India’s attempts to interfere in Bangladesh’s internal affairs. The parties urged the government to reveal all agreements that were concluded with India in the last fifteen years and cancel all those agreements that are harmful for Bangladesh,” said Asif Nazrul in a statement to the media after the meeting with the political parties.

Apart from BNP, Wednesday’s meeting included Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh which was represented by its Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and Amaar Bangla party. Some of the parties suggested that the the interim government should create a public relation cell to counter India and constitute a special committee for the minority communities of Bangladesh.

File photo of chief of Bangladesh Army General Waker-uz-Zaman
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh should return to electoral democracy within one-and-a-half years, the chief of Bangladesh Army General Waker-uz-Zaman said on Tuesday (September 24, 2024). In an interview with news agency Reuters, General Zaman said that he will support the interim government in carrying out the reforms and that the Bangladesh Army will be “professional” and stay away from politics.

“If you ask me, then I will say that should be the time frame by which we should enter into a democratic process,” General Zaman said underlining that the country should return to democratic process within one-and-a-half years. Bangladesh entered a phase of political turmoil with the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5. This was followed by widespread police and legal actions against large number of Awami League members which has created uncertainty about the prospects of the League to participate in any electoral process. 

The situation has left Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that had fashioned itself as the principal opposition party during the sixteen-year long Hasina era – in a more advantageous position as the party has strong cadre base that is playing a more visible role in Bangladesh.

General Zaman’s remarks giving a timeline for democracy is different from Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus who has not given a timeline for return of democracy since taking charge on August 7. In a telephone conversation with The Hindu, Shajeeb Wazed Joy, the U.S.-based son of deposed PM Sheikh Hasina pointed out that there is evident difference between the approach to democracy between General Zaman and Prof. Yunus.

“What you are seeing in Prof. Yunus is basically power greed. The kind of reforms that they are talking about can not be done in two or five years and in fact will take decades. This interim government is completely unelected and unconstitutional,” Mr. Wazed told The Hindu.

Mr. Wazed alleged that the ambitious agenda of reform is aimed at strengthening the interim government’s control on the administration which is facing law and order challenges and added, “There is daily killings taking place of my party’s representatives. There is certainly no reform happening in Bangladesh. Best thing is to have election as soon as possible.”

BNP’s general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had earlier told The Hindu that he was disappointed with Prof. Yunus not announcing a timeline for the return of democracy.

General Zaman also informed that the Bangladesh Army would conduct itself professionally and promised full support for the extensive agenda of reform that the interim government has taken up. “I will stand beside him. Come what may. So that he can accomplish his mission,” General Zaman said confirming his support for Prof. Yunus’ agenda of reform in the economy, election process, judiciary, media. In a speech delivered on August 25, Prof. Yunus had clarified that the agenda of reform was meant to pave the road for a “political dialogue” to help Bangladesh return to the democratic path. He is however yet to elaborate on his vision and timeline for the return of electoral democracy in Bangladesh.

General Zaman said that he enjoys “very good relations” with Chief Adviser Prof. Yunus and added, “I’m sure that if we work together, there is no reason why we should fail.”

The removal of Sheikh Hasina’s government from Dhaka has also impacted the local government in Bangladesh where a large number of local level bodies operate to conduct governance at division and district levels. Elections in these bodies are also a matter that is part of the election reform.