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India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Can Bangladesh trust Yunus's April 2026 poll promise?
As Bangladesh's interim government head Muhammad Yunus walked out after offering Eid prayers at the National Mosque in Dhaka, some in the crowd shouted that he should stay in power for five years and pay no heed to the 'dalals' who want early elections. Within hours, the video of the incident was all over social media, especially after Yunus's press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, shared it on Facebook. Alam wouldn't have done this without Yunus's approval. advertisementThe Yunus coterie's enthusiasm in publicising this minuscule event, passing off a dozen slogan-shouting admirers as 'the wish of the people', raises questions about making a mountain out of an astroturfed molehill. It also reinforces doubts about Yunus's real intent. The day before Eid, he said in a national address that elections would be held in early April of key political partiesAll parties, except the Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies, as well as the National Citizens Party, want elections to be held by December this year. The former says it is okay with polls in April next year, while the latter still casts aspersions on the possibility of fair polls under the present Election Commission. The most vocal proponent of conducting elections this year is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is now poised to win. advertisement BNP leaders like party spokesperson Salahuddin Ahmed have said Yunus's plans for April don't 'fulfil the aspirations of the nation'. Smaller parties close to the BNP have joined Salahuddin in raising concerns about an April election, saying that's when the country holds school-leaving exams involving lakhs of students. It also immediately follows the holy month of Ramzan and Eid, when campaigning would be undesirable. The Awami League, which may not be able to contest the next elections, unless the Election Commission changes its decision, has alleged that plans to conduct polls in April are a ruse. "Yunus has made an April fool of the nation,' said Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader. "When the nation approaches the election date, Yunus may use the possible difficulties now raised by the political parties to further postpone the polls.'Illegality of interim government Sources close to General Waker say the army chief remains acutely conscious of two factors: one, there is no constitutional basis for the interim government, and two, that he, more than anyone else, will be held accountable for the failures of the interim government and the unseemly controversies generated by it. The very political parties General Waker consulted with to create the interim government are now pushing him to get Yunus to organise the polls soon and step down. There is no provision in the Bangladesh Constitution for an interim government, the creation of which in August last year was justified by the Doctrine of Necessity. General Waker is acutely aware that this 'necessity' cannot be stretched too demand for early elections has also gained support because of the interim government's abject failure in maintaining law and order. An Indian human rights group, the Rights and Risks Analysis Group, has detailed the murders of at least 121 Awami League activists since August last year. Bangladeshi news reports suggest that nearly 3.5 lakhs have been arrested, most of them Awami League supporters, many on trumped-up charges. Yunus's confidante, Nahid Islam, wants polls delayed because of the uncertain law and order situation. The Nobel laureate has said Bangladesh faces a war-like situation and whipped up the bogey of Indian hegemonism, all to justify delayed polls.'Stay for five years'The Army and political parties are apprehensive because the Yunus coterie has made no secret of its desire to stay on for five years by insisting that reforms and justice are as important as holding Waker likely insisted on polls by December because he began doubting Yunus's real intention after his Home Adviser, Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retired), said during a visit to Sylhet that people wanted them to stay in power for five years. Before that, Sarjis Alam, one of the founders of the newly formed National Citizens Party and a former member of Yunus's advisory council, said that a "statesman like Yunus should run the country for five years'.Sarjis Alam belongs to the core leadership of the July-August 2024 agitation, which Yunus himself described as 'meticulously planned' during his visit to the Clinton Foundation last year. Yunus, in fact, introduced one of the student leaders, Mahfuz Alam, who remains on his advisory council, as the 'mastermind' of the agitation. Immediately after General Waker's renewed pitch for elections by December this year, one of his advisers, Syeda Rezwana, challenged the army chief and said, "People have put us here not just to hold elections but to bring about reforms and ensure justice to the victims of fascism.'July declaration The student-youth brigade and Islamist groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami, who spearheaded the agitations last year, have said they are putting together the July Declaration to embody the spirit of the revolution in governing the country. This declaration, possibly designed as a revolutionary proclamation, will perhaps seek to supplant the existing constitution. advertisementBNP leaders say that Yunus's promise for polls in April 2026 is perhaps a bait to get them to sign the July Declaration and then pave the way for a national government based on negotiated power-sharing rather than an elected government. Such a government can not only bring down President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu but also get his chosen successor to sack the army chief and other service chiefs supporting those who follow Bangladesh closely, the impending July Declaration, not the elections, is the next battleground that will decide whether the country remains a parliamentary democracy or continues to be run by an unelected cabal headed by a business leader who has no qualms in extending major favours to his companies, even getting the latest national budget to waive taxes on Nobel and Magsaysay awards he won.(Subir Bhaumik is a former BBC and Reuters correspondent and author who has worked in Bangladesh as a senior editor with expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
News18
6 days ago
- General
- News18
Bangladeshi Rebels Demanding Separate State Detained By Tripura Police
Last Updated: Police officials suspect the detainees are part of a Chakma outfit with past ties to a movement that wanted a separate state out of Bangladesh. Tripura Police on Tuesday night detained 13 injured members of a Bangladesh-based group, including two women, from a rented house near Agartala. The detainees, suspected to be part of a Chakma community organisation active in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, will be pushed back to Bangladesh soon, officials told news agency IANS. According to preliminary reports, the group crossed the international border illegally through Raishyabari in Dhalai district following a violent clash with a rival outfit in Bangladesh's Panchari region last week. Several members have visible injuries, with bandages on their legs and arms. Senior police officials interrogated the group throughout Wednesday before handing them over to the Mobile Task Force (MTF), which later transferred them to the Border Security Force (BSF). A joint repatriation effort is expected soon. The armed clash they fled from is believed to be part of the long-running tensions in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a region historically affected by ethnic insurgency. The Shanti Bahini insurgency, driven by the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), ended formally with a peace accord signed with the Bangladesh government in 1997. The PCJSS, formed in 1972 under Manabendra Narayan Larma, initially pushed for autonomy for the indigenous Jumma peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Their demands included a separate legislative body for the Chittagong Hill Tracts, constitutional protection for tribal customs, and preservation of traditional leadership. Although the group officially sought autonomy within Bangladesh, elements of its armed wing, the Shanti Bahini, reportedly pursued full sovereignty. Larma had also protested the Bangladesh Constitution's draft, calling for complete separation. The insurgency waged by the Shanti Bahini ended with the 1997 CHT Peace Accord, which granted limited autonomy and led to the group's disarmament. The PCJSS has since operated as a political party, demanding full implementation of the agreement. However, reports of sporadic violence and tension have persisted, particularly following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government in August 2024. Since then, there have been multiple allegations of attacks on indigenous communities in the CHT by security forces and illegal settlers. Many Chakmas continue to live under fear of reprisal and political marginalisation. The Chakma people, predominantly Buddhist, are native to the CHT in southeast Bangladesh, as well as Myanmar's Chin and Arakan regions, and several northeastern Indian states. Tripura, which shares an 856-kilometre border with Bangladesh, remains particularly vulnerable to such cross-border movements due to its porous terrain and the ongoing unrest just across the international boundary. First Published: June 04, 2025, 23:24 IST
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Countdown for Yunus? Bangladesh Army chief not ready to wait until June for election decision: Report
Sources say Zaman is exploring various strategies, including exploiting constitutional ambiguities, to undermine Yunus' interim administration read more Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman gestures during an interview with Reuters at his office in the Bangladesh Army Headquarters, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, September 23, 2024. File Photo/Reuters Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman is resolved to pursue all measures to depose Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, according to senior intelligence sources who spoke with CNN-News18. In addition to public announcements indicating this goal, the military has demonstrated its presence by attending high-profile officer meetings. According to insiders, the army chief is not convinced by the idea of waiting until June for elections. Sources say Zaman is exploring various strategies, including exploiting constitutional ambiguities, to undermine Yunus' interim administration. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Intelligence sources note that the legal basis of the interim government is unstable, as Bangladesh's constitution requires elections to be held within 90 days of a government's dissolution. Reports suggest that Zaman intends to bring together the parties of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to contest the national elections. If he fails to wrest control from Yunus, insiders claim he favours a quiet takeover of Bangladeshi politics to manage the situation temporarily. The military reportedly believes that delaying elections violates constitutional principles and could pressure President Mohammed Shahabuddin to declare a state of emergency. In such a scenario, the President may be urged to dissolve the interim administration and call elections sooner. Article 58 of the Bangladesh Constitution authorises the President to exercise emergency powers if the constitutional machinery breaks down. The army is said to be urging Shahabuddin to invoke this clause and bypass Yunus' authority. General Zaman is focused on maintaining military unity and safeguarding national sovereignty, portraying Yunus' proposals—such as the planned Rakhine corridor and increased foreign involvement—as threats to national stability. Zaman has reportedly solidified his influence by securing support from the navy and air force chiefs. He is also ramping up public pressure on Yunus and may soon call for early elections. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
