Yunus will hold the most heinous election in the country’s history

Staff Correspondent

The upcoming elections have been the subject of intense criticism and concern in Bangladesh’s political history. Senior journalist Mustafa Firoz, quoting BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, said that the elections held under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus could be the “most heinous” in the country’s history. The elections are being described as one-sided and “I-dummy” elections, lacking in contestation and democratic values.

Mustafa Firoz, quoting Salahuddin Ahmed, said, “28 parties participated in the last election. Will an election that is held with so many political parties banned be acceptable? Then how will there be competition? In another sense, it will be like a dummy election.” He further added, “One argument is being given that fascism is an ally. But the inner argument is that if as many competitors as possible can be removed, then it will be advantageous in the election. They do not want to have any competitors.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, “If banning is a must, the political activities or parties of 28 parties should be banned as allies of dictatorship and fascism. Then who will be the subject of the election? If those who are demanding banning later say, ‘We will not hold elections either,’ then what will be the outcome of the election in this country? They may have different motives behind this demand.”

In this situation, Firoz warned, “This process of banning political parties will set a dangerous precedent for democracy in the future. It will serve as a reference after 5-10 years, which is a bad sign for democracy.”

Mustafa Firoz also said, “If political stability is not established in the country, if a democratically elected government is not established, then a constitutional vacuum will prevail in the country. In this vacuum, national unity will be destroyed, and then fascism will take advantage. As a result, regional and global powers may be involved.”

The leaders of the Left Democratic Alliance have criticized the election as “one-sided” and “uncontested.” They claim, “The countrymen have caught on to the ‘me and dummy’ election joke as an attempt to make this election without an opposition party look participatory. As a result, there is no participation of the people in the voting field.” They also said, “The government has trapped itself by tricking the people.”

New Age editor Nurul Kabir said, “A kind of doubt has arisen, which is mainly due to the government and political parties. The government will organize the elections, political parties will participate, and the people will vote. But there is no opportunity for the people to formulate policies.” He added, “The journey of democratic transformation was supposed to begin after the fall of the authoritarian government through a mass uprising in August last year. But there was a mistake in determining the term and work plan of the interim government.”

Kabir added, “The Yunus government had three main tasks: the trial of the killings by the autocratic government in August last year, constitutional and legal reforms, and the transfer of power through elections. But this process is being hampered by the government’s slowness and irresponsibility.”

Mustafa Firoz said about the current state of the media, “I have not seen any initiative to free the media in the past year. The media has become more fearful. Some channels have fallen victim to mobs, as a result, everyone has become narrow-minded.” He added, “The media has now gone into self-censorship. They don’t dare to call anyone out of fear, because the call might come from the advisor’s office.”

He further criticized, saying, “The channels have now become like the Jatiya Party. They cannot survive without power. During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, the condition of these channels has become such that they only seek power.”

Deep concerns are being expressed about the political and democratic situation in the country in the run-up to the elections. Issues such as the banning of political parties, lack of competition, violence, and the curtailment of the media are weakening the foundations of democracy. Questions are being raised about how acceptable these elections will be without public participation. The accountability of the interim government and the progress of the reform process will now play a crucial role in determining the future of the country.