Election or Evasion?

Yunus' speech was political in nature, personally ambitious, and aimed at fulfilling his unfinished agenda to politically annihilate his opponents

- SHANTANU MUKHARJI

Reeling under severe pressure to hold elections within the timeframe notified by the Army not very long ago, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus announced the holding of elections in April 2026. However, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is visibly in a hurry to contest elections, is not only angry but has reacted acerbically, blaming the Yunus-led interim government for holding the polls so late. This is apparently because the BNP is under the impression that its poll prospects are the best among all the other contenders and any delay in holding the elections may possibly mar its chances. On his part, Yunus has clearly acted under pressure from student bodies, the National Citizen Party (NCP), and other radical Islamic outfits including Jamaat-e-Islami (Jel) and its affiliates.

Yunus and the interim government, with what appears to be selective amnesia, have ruled out the Awami League (AL) as a political entity. Having said this, some independent political analysts and keen Bangladesh watchers feel that if AL is allowed to contest the polls, it is very likely to spring a surprise, as the general public is fed up with poor governance over the last year. In the absence of any semblance of law and order, they reckon that AL could do a good job in restoring the status quo as it existed before August 5—i.e., before Hasina exited the political scene in Bangladesh.