Why Are Bangladesh's Political Parties Opposing the Election Roadmap?

Dhaka, Aug 30 (NationPress) In the escalating tensions leading up to next year's general election in Bangladesh, various political parties, notably the radical Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), have expressed their strong objections to the election roadmap recently proposed by the Election Commission (EC), as reported by local media.

The Jamaat has accused Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government, of failing to uphold his commitments, asserting that the newly announced roadmap is intended to undermine the possibility of a free election.

On Friday, at a public gathering, Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher stated, "The Chief Advisor has reneged on his promise by releasing the election roadmap; this roadmap serves as a scheme to sabotage a fair election," as noted by the prominent Bangladeshi newspaper The Dhaka Tribune.

"While Jamaat has no issues concerning the elections scheduled for February, we are specifically preparing for the elections on February 15. However, it is essential to address certain concerns to ensure a free and fair election. Among these, the July Charter must be legally recognized, and the February elections should be conducted based on that. Absent these measures, I believe the announced roadmap is a strategy to undermine a fair election," he added.

Taher also highlighted that the EC has committed a grave error by revealing a roadmap without clarifying whether the elections would follow the traditional approach or the newly suggested Proportional Representation (PR) system.

"We refuse to allow this to transpire. We will pressure the government and the Election Commission to ensure that elections proceed based on the July Charter refund and PR," he further asserted.

Moreover, NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam criticized the early announcement of the election roadmap before the July Charter was finalized, deeming it a violation of the interim government's commitments.

He stated, "Revealing the roadmap prior to the implementation of the 'July Charter' equates to breaking promises. The preparations for the election are intertwined with how the charter will be enacted," as reported by leading Bangladeshi newspaper The Business Standard.

"We anticipated that the government would announce a roadmap for the July Charter prior to this election roadmap. This oversight could spark future crises for which the government must take responsibility," he added.

On Thursday, the EC disclosed an electoral action plan outlining the timeline necessary to conduct the 13th parliamentary elections before Ramadan in February of the coming year.

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed presented a 24-point roadmap, emphasizing that the Commission's primary goal is to conduct the polls punctually.

Bangladesh has been enveloped in uncertainty surrounding the upcoming general elections since the democratically elected government of Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was overthrown amid violent protests last year.

The political factions that collaborated with Yunus to oust Hasina are now in conflict over reform proposals and the timing of the upcoming elections.