Dhaka : Bangladesh’s election roadmap has triggered sharp criticism from political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), ahead of next year’s parliamentary polls.
Jamaat leaders accused Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus of betraying his promise of free and fair elections. At a rally on Friday, Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher said, “The Chief Advisor broke his promise by announcing this election roadmap. It is a blueprint to derail the possibility of a fair election.”
Taher explained that Jamaat was ready for the February 15 polls but demanded that the “July Charter” receive legal status first. He warned that the Election Commission committed a “serious crime” by unveiling the roadmap without clarifying whether it would follow the traditional method or the proposed Proportional Representation (PR) system. “We will force the government and the EC to conduct the elections on the basis of the July Charter and PR system,” Taher declared.
NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam also condemned the move. He said the interim government broke its assurance by releasing the roadmap before finalising the July Charter. “The preparation for elections depends on how the charter will be implemented. This mistake may create future crises, and the government must take responsibility,” Islam stated, as quoted by The Business Standard.
On Thursday, Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed released a 24-point action plan. He outlined timelines for the 13th parliamentary polls and insisted that the EC’s only objective was to deliver elections before Ramadan in February 2025.
Bangladesh has faced political turmoil since violent protests ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government last year. The parties that once united with Yunus to remove Hasina now disagree sharply over electoral reforms and the timing of the polls. Analysts warn that this internal conflict could deepen the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections instead of resolving the crisis.
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