DHAKA, Jan 20: As Bangladesh gears up for its general elections on February 12, political parties are stepping up warnings to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government over concerns about election fairness.
Parties that had earlier collaborated to topple the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government are now questioning the neutrality of the Election Commission (EC) and the interim administration, stressing that any compromise in the electoral process will be the responsibility of Yunus and his government.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), and other political formations have accused the interim government of favouring rival parties.
On Monday, an NCP delegation led by convener Nahid Islam met Yunus to highlight incidents that they say undermine the EC’s impartiality.
Nahid criticized the EC for allowing dual citizens and loan defaulters to run for office and alleged that the BNP had pressured the commission to influence candidate verdicts before decisions were issued.
Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, also met Yunus to express concerns over the alleged biased conduct of some Superintendents of Police and Deputy Commissioners at the field level.
BNP leaders, including spokesperson Mahdi Amin, warned that recent developments are eroding the level playing field and creating conditions for a controversial electoral process.
Amin also accused a rival party of manipulating religious sentiment by asking voters to pledge on the Quran to support a specific electoral symbol, a breach of election rules.
These repeated warnings reflect growing mistrust in Yunus’s interim government and the EC. Despite taking office with promises of reforms after Sheikh Hasina’s government was ousted, the interim administration faces increasing scrutiny over its ability to conduct a credible election.
Rising political tensions and social uncertainties continue to cast a shadow over the February 12 polls, highlighting the fragile state of electoral democracy in Bangladesh. (IANS)
