Yunus promises election on time

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday reaffirmed his commitment to holding the 13th national election in the first half of February next year.

“There is no alternative to election. If anyone thinks of any other alternative, that would be disastrous for the nation,” he was quoted as saying.

Yunus gave the assurance during separate meetings with BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party at the Jamuna, CA’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said at a briefing.

Both Jamaat and NCP pressed for prioritising the implementation of the July Charter over the polls and demanded a ban on Jatiya Party’s activities, accusing it of abetting the Awami League government in legitimising disputed elections.

BNP, however, said the election must be held within the announced timeframe and there was no scope for deferral.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the BNP was concerned that a group was working to delay the election and make it questionable. “But there is no chance of that. The election will be held within the announced time. The chief adviser also said the same thing.

“He [Yunus] called us to assure us about the election, that it will be held on time. There should be no doubt about this.”

Fakhrul dismissed Jamaat’s allegation that preparations were on for a blueprint election as completely baseless.

In reply to a journalist’s question, he said that there was no discussion on the Jatiya Party issue.

The BNP leader also condemned the attack on Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur. “This incident is very worrying. In the current political situation, we think a thorough investigation is needed. The government has already started a judicial investigation.”

Nur was critically injured in an assault by police and army personnel following a clash between his party and the Jatiya Party on Friday.

According to insiders, at the meeting with BNP, which took place after the ones with NCP and Jamaat, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul raised the proposal for a constituent assembly election, citing the two other parties’ demands. BNP leaders, however, rejected the idea, saying the constitution does not allow it.

Jamaat leaders expressed disappointment over the announcement of the election work plan before implementing the July Charter, saying this could derail the reforms. They urged the government to take a tough stance against the Jatiya Party, speed up reforms, and make trials for crimes against humanity during the July uprising more visible.

Meeting sources said Jamaat also pressed for a constituent assembly election to introduce proportional representation (PR), noting that 26 of the 31 parties in the consensus commission dialogue had supported the system. They argued that such an election was needed to gauge public opinion.

After their meeting in the afternoon, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher expressed doubts over the interim government’s capacity to make the election free and fair when it “cannot even control extortion”.

He warned that reforms agreed upon by 31 parties must be implemented before polls, otherwise “the blood given, the lives given… will become meaningless.”

The Jamaat leader said they had agreed with the chief adviser that the polls be held in February before Ramadan and had “no confusion or division” over the timeframe. But, he alleged, once Jamaat raised conditions for a fair election, “immediately one party said we do not want polls within this timeframe. Such remarks are a conspiracy.”

He added that Yunus had assured them of introducing reforms, ensuring visible justice, and holding a free and fair election of international standard. “But given today’s situation, these achievements are at risk of becoming questionable,” he said.

The Jamaat leader also alleged “foreign and domestic forces” were pushing a blueprint election, pointing to the “unprecedented” announcement of the election timeframe in London after talks with one party.

“The July Declaration of August 5 was incomplete… Some issues were prioritised, others avoided. The government should have decided clearly on the July Charter before announcing the election roadmap and timeframe,” he said.

When asked about the Jatiya Party, Taher said, “Awami League’s associate Jatiya Party worked with them. So, the same decision you (CA) took about Awami League, you can take about Jatiya Party.”

Jamaat’s delegation included Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, and assistant secretaries general Rafiqul Islam Khan and Hamidur Rahman Azad.

After its meeting, NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib said the February election should instead be a constituent assembly election to give the July Charter legal and constitutional basis. He warned that otherwise Bangladesh would remain trapped in “a 55-year-long crisis of personalised, authoritarian rule.”

Adib voiced concerns about the Election Commission’s neutrality, citing a scuffle inside its office over constituency delimitation, and criticised the rule barring those turning 18 after October 31 from voting. “This means youths who turn 18 by February will be excluded despite actively joining the mass uprising.”

He said NCP had placed five demands before the CA: welfare for July martyrs’ families, action on the enforced disappearance commission’s recommendations, stronger action against Awami League and Jatiya Party, coordinated handling of pending cases against AL leaders, and suspension of JP’s activities for “legitimising illegal elections”.

Adib also alleged that parts of the bureaucracy, business, and media establishment were resisting reform. “The enforced disappearance commission has named DGFI, NSI, SB, CTTC, Rab, and police as directly involved in disappearances. But we have yet to see effective government action,” he said.

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