Bangladesh: BNP, allies plan nationwide protests over lack of clear election roadmap

Dhaka, April 5 (IANS) Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the major political parties in the country after the fall of the Awami League government last August, is considering holding nationwide street protests along with allies to highlight the failure of the current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in providing a clear roadmap for national election.

During the rallies and public gatherings which will continue till May, the BNP leaders will be demanding restoration of democracy and the people's voting rights by holding elections as soon as possible.

Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported on Saturday that the party will hold a large-scale public rally in Dhaka and set a deadline for the interim government to announce the election date.

In a televised address to the nation on March 25, Yunus stated that the elections will be held between December 2025 and June 2026. He added that the Consensus Commission is actively gathering opinions on reforms from all political parties.

A senior BNP leader stated that there is a deliberate effort to extend the tenure of the interim government and delay the elections. The party has warned of instability and "strong resentment" within the people if elections are not held by December.

"I am very disappointed that the Chief Advisor did not mention a clear election roadmap in his speech on March 25. What I believe is that the lack of a specific election roadmap reflects the government's political inexperience," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, reacting to Yunus' statement.

Addressing a conference in February, BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman accused the Yunus-led interim government of causing instability in Bangladesh.

"For some time now, we have been observing with concern that some officials within the government are making conflicting remarks regarding the restoration of people's rights. As a result, unrest has spread across different regions," he stated.

Earlier, the BNP had expressed doubts about the possibility of national parliamentary elections being held in December. The party's senior leaders alleged a "conspiracy" to delay the polls.

The much-flaunted unity of the political outfits in Bangladesh, which was on full display during the ousting of the democratically-elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, is fading gradually.

With the country plunging into crisis over the last seven months, several political leaders, who had earlier backed Yunus, are now criticising him openly, especially over the long delay that has been witnessed in holding national elections.

--IANS

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