Kolkata:
A significant meeting in Dhaka carried on through Sunday, with growing pressure on Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government, to schedule elections. Critics, including Nobel Prize winners, have accused him of wanting to maintain power without a democratic process.
The interim government has been tasked with organizing elections to facilitate a seamless transition to an elected government.
Despite this, Yunus has not yet set a date for the elections, even after being in his role for over nine months.
During a meeting on Sunday, Yunus reportedly engaged with a political party delegation, which stressed that the interim government should prioritize elections over making long-term decisions.
A delegation from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a prominent opposition group that was removed from the Sheikh Hasina administration last August, also met with Yunus on Saturday evening. They emphasized the need for swift elections, expressing concern over the lack of an announced date.
Sources mentioned that the BNP conveyed the significance of establishing a democratically elected government.
Other topics discussed included concerns that unaffiliated governments should avoid making major policy decisions, like investment projects and the Rohingya corridor. Talike Rahman, acting for the BNP, pointed out that ignoring constitutional mandates could pave the way to dictatorship.
Critics have suggested that Yunus is trying to cling to power with the support of Islamic extremists, leveraging student movements that have targeted Sheikh Hasina and her administration.
On Saturday, the Jamaat-e-Islami group met with Yunus, expressing hope that he would maintain authority amid what they see as attacks on ethnic minorities. Additionally, the National Citizens’ Party, which emerged from the student protests last August, has shown support for him.
Sheikh Hasina has accused Yunus of “selling the country to the United States,” criticizing a recent ban on Awami League parties as unconstitutional.
In a message on Facebook, the ousted leader reiterated allegations that Yunus seized control with the backing of extremist factions. She remarked, “My father stood against America’s demands regarding St. Martin Island. He lost his life for it, so I never thought about selling the country,” in a Twitter post on X.
The Secretary of the Bangladesh Army has stated that national elections should occur by December. He noted that long-term issues impacting the nation’s sovereignty should be left to an elected government.
Regarding the Rohingya corridor proposal—backed by the US and thought to be supported by the UN—Army Secretary Waker Uz Zaman dismissed it during discussions with army officers, labeling it a “bloody corridor.”
Yunus is responding to the push for elections. Following a session of the National Economic Council’s Executive Committee, an unplanned meeting of the Advisory Committee occurred on Saturday. This two-hour meeting covered elections, reforms, and justice in detail.
The advisory committee stated that unreasonable demands, provocative statements, and destructive programs have continually disrupted normal operations and led to public confusion and doubt.
The council believes that achieving broader unity is crucial for maintaining national stability, facilitating free and fair elections, and preventing a return to authoritarianism.
The interim government has indicated that it will “listen to the views of political parties and clarify its own position” on this matter.
