Latest news with #democraticreforms
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Bangladesh's Yunus announces elections in April 2026
Bangladesh will hold elections in early April 2026 for the first time since a mass uprising overthrew the government last year, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said Friday. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. "I am announcing to the citizens of the country that the election will be held on any day in the first half of April 2026," said Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who leads the caretaker government. Political parties jostling for power have been repeatedly demanding Yunus fix an election timetable, while he has said time is needed as the country requires an overhaul of its democratic institutions after Hasina's tenure. "The government has been doing everything necessary to create an environment conducive to holding the election," he added in the television broadcast, while repeating his warning that reforms were needed. "It should be remembered that Bangladesh has plunged into deep crisis every time it has held a flawed election," he said, in a speech given on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday in the Muslim-majority nation. "A political party usurped power through such elections in the past, and became a barbaric fascist force." Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, and her government was accused of politicising courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections. The interim government had already repeatedly vowed to hold elections before June 2026, but said the more time it had to enact reforms, the better. - Reform of 'utmost importance' - The key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election frontrunner, has in recent weeks been pushing hard for polls to be held by December. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, in a speech to officers in May, also said that elections should be held by December, according to both Bangladeshi media and military sources. Days after that speech, the government warned that political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made. "Those who organise such elections are later viewed as culprits, and those who assume office through them become targets of public hatred," Yunus said on Friday. "One of the biggest responsibilities of this government is to ensure a transparent... and widely participatory election so that the country does not fall into a new phase of crisis," he added. "That is why institutional reform is of utmost importance." Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 after Hasina's government launched a crackdown in a bid to cling to power, according to the United Nations. Hasina, 77, fled by helicopter to her old ally India and she has defied an extradition order to return to Dhaka. Her trial opened in absentia this month. Yunus said "reforms, trials, and elections" were the three "core mandates" of his government. "The sacrifices made by our students and people will be in vain if good governance cannot be established," he said. The Election Commission will "present a detailed roadmap" for the vote "at an appropriate time", the interim leader said without specifying a date. "We have been in dialogue with all stakeholders to organise the most free, fair, competitive, and credible election in the history of Bangladesh," Yunus added. sa/pjm/rsc
Arab News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Bangladesh consensus commission fails to find agreement
DHAKA: Bangladesh's National Consensus Commission, tasked by the caretaker government to lead critical democratic reforms after a mass uprising last year, said Monday that political parties had failed to reach agreement. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has previously said he inherited a 'completely broken down' system of public administration. Yunus has said it required a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to authoritarian rule. He set up six commissions to do that work, overseen by the Consensus Commission, which he heads. Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president, said that despite marathon efforts they had not reached a deal. 'It wasn't possible to reach a consensus on several significant constitutional issues,' Riaz told reporters in Dhaka, saying talks stretched over 45 sessions. 'We have been discussing 166 recommendations with 38 political parties and alliances.' Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State University, said the teams would not give up. 'We are going to begin a second round of talks,' he said, adding that the country's statistics bureau would 'conduct a household survey to gauge public opinion.' The commission plans to include 46,000 families in the survey. Contentious issues include whether a prime minister can serve more than two terms, and the process for selecting the president. The procedure for appointing the chief of the interim government, and the duration of its tenure, has also divided parties, Riaz said. Parties also debated recommendations to change the terms of the constitution from 'secularism' to 'pluralism.' Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, with Hindus accounting for less than a tenth of the population. 'Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities,' he said. Yunus warned on Saturday that political power struggles risked jeopardizing gains that have been made, carrying out two days of talks with more than 20 political party leaders. Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicizing courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections to dismantle democratic checks on its power. Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later — with the deadline of June 2026 — would give the government more time for reform. On Saturday, Yunus met with the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election front-runners, who are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. The military insisted at a press conference on Monday that there was no division with Yunus. It was the first address to the media since army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman gave an address to officers on May 21. He said that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands, according to Bangladeshi media and military sources. 'There is no rift between the government and the Bangladesh Army,' Lt. Col. Muhammad Shafiqul Islam told reporters. 'We share a cordial relationship and are working together for the sake of the country.'
CNA
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Bangladesh consensus commission fails to find agreement
DHAKA: Bangladesh's National Consensus Commission, tasked by the caretaker government to lead critical democratic reforms after a mass uprising last year, said on Monday (May 26) that political parties had failed to reach agreement. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has previously said he inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration. Yunus has said it required a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to authoritarian rule. He set up six commissions to do that work, overseen by the Consensus Commission, which he heads. Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president, said that despite marathon efforts they had not reached a deal. "It wasn't possible to reach a consensus on several significant constitutional issues," Riaz told reporters in Dhaka, saying talks stretched over 45 sessions. "We have been discussing 166 recommendations with 38 political parties and alliances." Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State University, said the teams would not give up. "We are going to begin a second round of talks," he said, adding that the country's statistics bureau would "conduct a household survey to gauge public opinion". The commission plans to include 46,000 families in the survey. Contentious issues include whether a prime minister can serve more than two terms, and the process for selecting the president. The procedure for appointing the chief of the interim government, and the duration of its tenure, has also divided parties, Riaz said. Parties also debated recommendations to change the terms of the constitution from "secularism" to "pluralism". Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, with Hindus accounting for less than a tenth of the population. "Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities," he said. "NO RIFT" Yunus warned on Saturday that political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made, carrying out two days of talks with more than 20 political party leaders. Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections to dismantle democratic checks on its power. Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later - with the deadline of June 2026 - would give the government more time for reform. On Saturday, Yunus met with the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election front-runners, who are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. The military insisted at a press conference on Monday that there was no division with Yunus. It was the first address to the media since army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman gave an address to officers on May 21. He said that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands, according to Bangladeshi media and military sources. "There is no rift between the government and the Bangladesh Army," Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Shafiqul Islam told reporters.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bangladesh govt calls for unity to stop 'return of authoritarianism'
Bangladesh's interim government, which took over after a mass uprising last year, warned on Saturday that unity was needed to "prevent the return of authoritarianism". The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by student-led protests in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. However, after a week of escalation during which rival parties protested on the streets of the capital Dhaka, the government led by Muhammad Yunus said political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made and pleaded for people to give it their full support. "Broader unity is essential to maintain national stability, organise free and fair elections, justice, and reform, and permanently prevent the return of authoritarianism in the country," it said in a statement. - 'Continuously obstructing' - Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who returned from exile at the behest of protesters last year, says he has a duty to implement democratic reforms before elections that are due by June 2026 at the latest. However, the government warned that it had faced "unreasonable demands, deliberately provocative and jurisdictionally overreaching statements", which it said had been "continuously obstructing" its work. Sources in his office and a key political ally said on Thursday microfinance pioneer Yunus had threatened to quit. "If the government's autonomy, reform efforts, justice process, fair election plan, and normal operations are obstructed to the point of making its duties unmanageable, it will, with the people, take the necessary steps," Saturday's statement said, without giving further details. Wahiduddin Mahmud, who heads the finance and planning ministry, insisted that Yunus will not step down early. "We are going to carry out the responsibilities assigned to us," Mahmud told reporters on Saturday. "We can't simply abandon our duties." - 'Reconsider our support' - Yunus is due to hold talks late on Saturday with key political parties who have protested against the government this month. Yunus's team has confirmed he will meet leaders of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as well as leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim-majority nation's largest Islamist party. No agenda has been released but the BNP, seen as the front-runners in elections, are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. "If he is unable to announce a specific election date by December, we will reconsider our support for his administration," senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said in an interview on a private TV channel broadcast on Friday. According to Bangladeshi media and military sources, army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman also said this week that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands. Bangladesh has a long history of military coups and the army retains a powerful role. The upcoming elections will be the first since Hasina fled to India, where she remains in self-imposed exile in defiance of an arrest warrant to face trial for crimes against humanity related to last year's police crackdown on protesters during which at least 1,400 people were killed. - 'Anti-democratic' - Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later -- with the deadline of June -- would give the government more time for reform. Nahid Islam, leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP) made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina's rule, said he feared an army-backed leadership wanted to replace the interim government. Islam, an ally of Yunus who previously served in his cabinet, told reporters on Saturday that he foresaw a situation similar to January 11, 2007, when a state of emergency was declared resulting in a military-backed government that lasted for two years. "There are indications that a 1/11-style military-backed government could re-emerge -- one that is anti-democratic and anti-people," Islam said. "While the military is an essential institution for state security, it should not interfere in political affairs," he said. Islam said he wants later elections to allow time for "fundamental reforms" to the constitution, but fears rival parties want swift elections to "assume power". sa-pjm/pbt
Malay Mail
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Bangladesh political turmoil: A who's who guide
DHAKA, May 23 — Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt forced then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee last year, ending her 15-year iron-fisted rule. Rival parties have repeatedly brought the streets of the capital Dhaka to a standstill with a string of competing demands. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who leads the caretaker government as its chief advisor until elections, was reported to have threatened to quit this week if political parties did not give him their full support. Political parties and power brokers in the Muslim-majority nation of some 170 million people range from student activists, Islamist politicians to the army. Interim government Microfinance pioneer Yunus, 84, returned from exile in August 2024 at the behest of protesters. Yunus says the caretaker administration he heads has a duty to implement democratic reforms before elections. The timing of polls therefore depends on how much change the political parties can agree on. He has promised the elections could be held as early as December, and at the latest by June 2026. Bangladesh last held elections in January 2024, when Hasina won a fourth term in the absence of genuine opposition parties. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) The BNP, the party of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is widely tipped to win elections. The BNP has protested against the government, demanding Yunus set an election date and has made a raft of other demands, including the sacking of multiple members of Yunus's cabinet. The party has demanded an election as soon as December. Zia, 79, led the South Asian nation twice but was jailed for corruption in 2018 during Hasina's tenure. After Hasina's fall, she was released from house arrest and travelled abroad for medical care, returning this month to cheering supporters. But her son Tarique Rahman, 59, who has lived in London since 2008 after being sentenced in absentia under Hasina — convictions since quashed — is expected to return to lead the party in polls. Students Opposing the BNP is the National Citizen Party (NCP), made up of many of the students who spearheaded the uprising against Hasina. Leader Nahid Islam, 27, was one of the most visible faces of the youth-led protest campaign, before joining the government. In February, he resigned to form the NCP. The NCP had sought to position itself as open to all people seeking to bring forward the spirit of last year's uprising. But as divisions widen between competing groups, rivals see it as too close to Yunus. They would like a later election to allow time for reforms. Islamists Hasina took a tough stand against Islamist movements, sentencing several of their leaders to death. Since she fled, groups have become emboldened. They include Hefazat-e-Islam — an influential pressure group made up of multiple political parties, organisations and religious schools. Jamaat-E-Islami, the largest Islamist political party, has also protested against the government — demanding the abolishment of a women's commission seeking equality. Religious relations have been turbulent, sparking worries among minorities including Muslim Sufis and Hindus — who account for less than a tenth of the population. Awami League Hasina's Awami League, the country's oldest political party, played a key role in Bangladesh's liberation war from Pakistan in 1971. The government banned it on May 12 pending trials of Hasina and other key leaders. But what was once the country's most popular party retains core supporters. Hasina, 77, is in self-imposed exile in India, defying an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity related to the police crackdown that killed at least 1,400 protesters as she clung to power. Army In a country with a long history of military coups, the army has a powerful role. It was the army who played a decisive factor in the ending of Hasina's rule — after the generals decided not to step in to quash the protests. They retain policing duties on the streets. It was army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman who announced that Hasina had been overthrown, with the military taking brief control, before handing over to Yunus. Bangladeshi newspapers reported that Waker-Uz-Zaman yesterday said that elections should be held by December — aligning with BNP demands. International players Regional neighbours play a powerful role. Bangladesh, largely encircled by land by India, has seen relations with Hasina's old ally New Delhi turn icy. Yunus's first state visit was to China, while Bangladesh has also moved closer to Pakistan, India's arch-enemy. Bangladesh, the world's second largest garment manufacturer, is also eying the potentially dire impact of punishing US tariffs of 37 per cent if a deal is not struck in coming weeks. — AFP
