Bangladesh election could be ‘little over a year away’, hints Yunus govt

DHAKA: Amid uncertainties regarding the timeline for holding elections in Bangladesh to usher in a democratically elected govt, the interim administration led by Mohammad Yunus is indicating that it may take just over a year to organise polls, according to information from his office shared with TOI.
“No timeline has yet been worked out,” said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary representing chief adviser Yunus’s office, while he also indicated that it is likely that the interim dispensation would be in a position to take a call on the polls after the six commissions that have been formed, submit their reports by Dec 31, 2024. The commissions have been tasked to suggest reforms in the constitution, anti-corruption matters, election commission, police administration, judiciary and public administration.
After repeated questions on what could be a realistic timeline, he indicated “six months would be very little time for making the preparations” following the students’ movement that saw widespread public participation in ousting Hasina’s Awami League-led govt, and “two years would be stretching it…” Hence, it could be little over a year, but “certainly” less than two years, that is looking workable, he added. The interim govt has been in office for two and half months.
While the Awami League govt conducted elections for the last three terms and came to office, with Bangladesh Nationalist Party and few other parties boycotting the polls, the next election could see Hasina’s party out of the poll process, according to sources.
Meanwhile, looking at improving ties with India, the Yunus govt is looking at the possibility of an interaction with PM Modi at the next international forum that the two leaders could be attending. In that context, the BIMSTEC meeting that is expected to take place in Thailand, for which dates have not yet been announced, could be an opportunity, Alam said, adding that diplomatic interactions between the two nations “continue to be intact”. On the question of ties with Pakistan, the Yunus govt is looking at revival of the Saarc forum, where Pakistan is also on the table.