Bangladesh’s political crisis is set to deepen further as a key adviser to Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has announced that Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League would be barred from contesting future elections, Indian Express reported.
“The elections will be contested among pro-Bangladesh groups only,” declared Mahfuz Alam, a prominent leader of the Anti-Discrimination Movement, at a street rally in Chandpur district on Saturday (25 January).
Alam, who played a key role in the uprising that toppled Hasina’s government and led to her exile on 5 August last year, added that only Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and other “pro-Bangladesh” groups would continue their political activities in the country.
“Either of these will establish future governance through a fair electoral process. But Awami League’s rehabilitation will not be allowed in this country,” Alam added.
Serving as a de facto minister without portfolio in Yunus’s interim government, he stressed that elections would not be held until “minimum reforms” were implemented and institutions, allegedly destroyed by the “fascist Hasina government,” were rebuilt.
The announcement came amidst rising tensions over political reforms and the exclusion of the Awami League, once a dominant force, from Bangladesh’s political landscape.
Once a special assistant in Yunus’s interim government, Alam was later promoted to an advisory role in the interim cabinet.
During a UN General Assembly function last year, Yunus had introduced Alam as the “main brain” behind the “meticulously” planned student-led movement that ousted the Awami League from power.
Following the events of 5 August 2024, the Awami League has largely disappeared from Bangladesh’s political arena.
Many of its leaders face imprisonment on charges such as murder and corruption, while others remain in hiding, both locally and internationally.
The BNP, however, has opposed banning any political party, suggesting a cautious approach toward the Awami League’s future.
It urged prompt elections after minimal reforms.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir cautioned the interim government against prolonging its reforms, warning, “An unelected government must not continue for a longer period.”
Speculation is growing over a youth-led political party formed by the student leaders behind the anti-Awami League movement.
The BNP warned that the interim government risks losing credibility if its members establish a party while in office.
Last month, Muhammad Yunus stated that the next general election could be held by late 2025 or early 2026.
However, he emphasised that the elections’ timing would depend on achieving political consensus and the extent of the reforms required.
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