Latest news with #TariqueRahman
Times of Oman
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Is Bangladesh ready for a 'credible' election?
Dhaka: Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, recently met the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is expected to be the frontrunner in elections next year. Tarique Rahman, who has lived in exile in the United Kingdom for over 15 years, is the acting chairman of the BNP, a major party which his mother, ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, led for decades. The meeting in the UK capital London was held amid rising tensions in Bangladesh, which has been locked in a tense political limbo since an uprising culminated in former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation in August 2024. Reforms needed before elections The BNP wanted an election by December 2025, while the interim government had been aiming for April 2026, saying it needs time to implement a host of reforms. Yunus and Rahman have now agreed that polls could be held in February — if sufficient progress on reforms is made. These include constitutional reforms, changes to the electoral process and boosting judicial independence and press freedoms. Authorities also need to deliver justice for the victims of last year's mass protests, in which hundreds were killed, mostly by the security forces loyal to Hasina and her Awami League. Tasnim Jara, a leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), newly formed by the student leaders of last year's protests, thinks that while the government has taken initial steps for an election, "institutional readiness remains uneven." "Key election infrastructure, such as an impartial election commission, a neutral civil administration, and an independent judiciary, requires urgent reform. A credible election will depend on whether the political parties can agree on a reform package soon and whether that package is visibly implemented in time," she told DW. While the agreement between the BNP and Yunus is a welcome development for many observers, they say that the restoration of law and order to allow for a credible election that includes all major parties remains a priority. Saimum Parvez, a special assistant to the BNP Chairman, thinks that "the dismal law and order situation, unchecked unruly mobs, and encouragement of depoliticisation" are the obstacles. "However, as common people of Bangladesh are usually enthusiastic about participating and engaging in electoral campaigns, it is possible to overcome these obstacles with community support," he told DW. The Dhaka-based political historiographer Mohiuddin Ahmed, however, was less optimistic. "Bangladeshi political parties don't behave peacefully during elections. They tend to use force whenever possible to control polling centers. Maintaining an orderly situation during the polls will be challenging if the administrations and police forces don't work properly," he told DW. Former government and security officials face criminal charges A UN fact-finding mission this year found that officials from Bangladesh's former government and security apparatus had systematically committed serious human rights violations against protesters last summer and that crimes against humanity may have been carried out. Hundreds of cases have been filed against Hasina and her allies since she fled to India on August 5, 2024. Her Awami League party claims that the cases are politically motivated. Observers say that the country's security forces have lost credibility since last year's crackdown, which has contributed to the deteriorating security situation. Naomi Hossain, a political sociologist and a professor at London's SOAS University, said that Bangladesh was tough to govern and that order had always been "difficult to achieve." "It is one reason why people put up with Sheikh Hasina so long — at least she wielded the power to maintain some semblance of order, violent and repressive though it was for anyone who wanted to dissent," Hossain told DW. She added that given the political vacuum since Hasina's ouster, it was "no surprise" that law and order was currently "a problem." "I think that the army is probably feeling the need to act with caution given the human rights violations they allegedly participated in last year. That means not being too heavy-handed with the mobs and Islamist gangs we see news reports about," she said. Military brought in to tackle lawlessness Bangladesh's interim government has empowered army officers with the rank of captain or higher to help police maintain law and order in the country. However, Tasnim Jara, a former doctor who is now a politician, told DW that the army's deployment had not resolved the crisis and only "exposed deeper issues." "State-sanctioned violence and repression over the past 16 years deeply undermined public trust and destabilized the foundations of governance," Jara said, calling for that legacy to be addressed. "Lasting stability will only come through institutional reform of the police and security agencies. We have yet to see these reforms," she added. Will the Awami League be able to take part in the election? The Awami League was banned last month pending trials by a special tribunal into the party and its leaders for alleged crimes against humanity and human rights violations. But observers, including Hossain, think Bangladesh's oldest party should be allowed to participate in the upcoming polls because it still enjoys broad support, despite the fact that many of its leaders are "credibly accused of numerous crimes." "The party is a huge national body and still seems to command a lot of support across the country, perhaps particularly in rural areas and among minority groups and women. Banning them serves no good purpose," Hossain told DW. She warned that such a move would likely lead to "a super-majority landslide" for the BNP, "who will then be empowered to behave exactly as the Awami League did when it won its super-majority back in 2008." Jara, on the other hand, thinks that before the Awami League can be allowed to participate in elections, its leaders must first be held accountable for their alleged human rights violations which include "enforced disappearances, torture, election rigging, and widespread killings." "A credible legal process must address these before any accused entity can participate. If justice is bypassed, it will destroy public trust and risk returning the country to the very repression people rose up against. No party can be above the law," she told DW.
NDTV
16-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
As Debate Over Bangladesh Election Intensifies, A Tussle Over Dates
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) has declared that it's ready to hold the fresh parliamentary election in the country, but confusion persists on the timing. Nationwide polls are due in the South Asian nation after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted last year following a nationwide protest. The elections are expected to take place before the first half of April 2026, but so far, no formal discussion has taken place between the government and the EC regarding the timing of the polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said on Sunday, according to a report by Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo. BNP's Request Meanwhile, Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus met with the leader of the nation's key Opposition party--the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -- in London last Friday. During the meeting, BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman reportedly proposed to hold the national election before Ramadan 2026 as opposed to the Yunus Government's proposal for April next year. BNP is expected to be the frontrunner in the elections, and the party has earlier demanded that the polls should be held by December 2025. BNP Acting Chairman @trahmanbnp and @ChiefAdviserGoB Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus held a meeting today in London. During the meeting, Tarique Rahman proposed holding the national election before Ramadan 2026. The Chief Advisor reiterated his plan to hold the election in the… — Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP (@bdbnp78) June 13, 2025 "The Chief Advisor reiterated his plan to hold the election in the first half of April 2026 and added that, subject to necessary reforms and progress in justice, it could be held even a week before Ramadan. BNP welcomes this position," the BNP said in a post on social media platform X. In 2026, Ramadan is expected to start from the evening of Tuesday, February 17, till Wednesday, March 18. However, these are the tentative dates, and their confirmation depends on sighting of the new moon, specifically the crescent moon, at the start of the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every year, the dates for Ramadan move 10-11 days earlier because it is a lunar calendar. Election Commission's Plan When asked about BNP's demands, the Chief Election Commissioner told Bangladeshi media that he only heard about the demands of holding elections in February/March via the media and did not have any further information. He hinted that if the government wants, the Election Commission would announce elections earlier than April. He said that for now, the Election Commission is focusing solely on preparations to ensure that whenever the election takes place and is ready to deliver. Government's Criticism Critics of Muhammad Yunus have accused him of delaying elections to stay in power longer than envisaged when the interim government was sworn in. But the Yunus-led government has maintained that elections without reform will not make sense, and the government needs time to implement reforms before holding elections. According to electoral law in Bangladesh, election dates are announced officially through a gazette notification issued by the government, and the law does not allow such announcements six to eight months in advance. However, political observers say the announcement by the elected government is a formal practice, but informally, dates are known way before elections are announced. Voters' lists in Bangladesh are being revised and are expected to be ready by February/March next year. Meanwhile, Hasina's party-- the Bangladesh Awami League--which was ousted in August last year, said, "Yunus sounds clearly like he is lying about having 'the most beautiful election ever.' (Not possible when he illegally banned the largest party and unlawfully put over 100 MPs in jail)." "A discussion with Tarique Rahman revealed that there was a scheme to stage an orchestrated and rigged election, excluding 50 per cent of voters from the electoral process," Hasina's party added.
United News of India
14-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Bangladesh national polls possible in Feb, CA Yunus and BNP reach agreement
Dhaka, June 13 (UNI) Bangladesh Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus and BNP chairman Tarique Rahman have agreed that general elections could take place a week before Ramadan in the second week of February, provided all preparations were completed by then. The preparations include sufficient progress in electoral reforms and the July Uprising trials. The BNP chairman, who met the CA in the Dorchester Hotel in London, reportedly expressed satisfaction with the decision, putting both parties on the same page after the BNP came to loggerheads with the interim government over its decision to hold elections in April next year, which they called unfeasible. The interim government appointed National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman. briefing media about the meeting between Rahman and Yunus, said it was held in a cordial environment. "Tarique Rahman proposed to the chief advisor that the national election be held before next year's Ramadan. The party's chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia, also believes that holding the election during that time would be good," Khalilur said, reports Daily Star. "The chief advisor said that he has already announced that the election will be held in the first half of April next year. If all preparations are completed, the election could be organised in the week before Ramadan in 2026. However, sufficient progress in reforms and judicial matters will need to be achieved within that timeframe". UNI ANV SSP
India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Bangladesh: Yunus hints at holding elections in early February
Dhaka [Bangladesh], June 14 (ANI): Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, has hinted at holding national elections in early February next year. 'The Chief Adviser said that he has announced that the elections will be held by the first half of February next year. If all preparations are completed, the elections could be held even in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026,' said a joint statement issued after the talks between Muhammad Yunus and Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in London. 'In that case, it will be necessary to achieve sufficient progress on reform and justice within that period,' it added. 'Today, BNP Acting Chairperson Mr. Tarique Rahman met with visiting Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus in London. Their meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere,' the statement said. Tarique Rahman proposed to the Chief Adviser to hold the elections before Ramadan next year. Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia also thinks it would be better if the elections were held at that time, the statement added. Many are considering the London meeting between Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman as a game-changer for Bangladeshi politics. Right now, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's BNP is the largest Political Party in Bangladesh, as Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is banned from running. Tarique Rahman, the son of Khaleda Zia, seems set to return soon to Bangladesh after 16 years in exile in London. Muhammad Yunus is now in London in a four-day official visit. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to meet Yunus after Awami League concerns. Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a student-led uprising in August last year. She is now living in India in a self-imposed exile. After Sheikh Hasina's fall, an interim government was formed under leadership of Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Laureate. (ANI)
India Today
14-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Yunus hints at February 2026 Bangladesh vote after Tarique meeting
Bangladesh may head to the polls as early as February 2026, according to a statement by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, following what many are calling a "game-changing" meeting with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London.'The Chief Adviser said that he has announced that the elections will be held by the first half of February next year,' a joint statement released after the meeting noted. 'If all preparations are completed, the elections could be held even in the week before the start of Ramzan in 2026.'advertisement"In that case, it will be necessary to achieve sufficient progress on reform and justice within that period," it added. Reforms remain a key demand from the BNP as well as the international community watching Bangladesh's return to democracy after a period of intense upheaval. The meeting, held in a 'very cordial atmosphere', comes amid a major political realignment in Bangladesh, where Sheikh Hasina's Awami League remains banned from contesting elections. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, is currently the largest political Rahman, her son and heir apparent, proposed that elections be held before Ramzan, with the statement adding, 'Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia also thinks it would be better if the elections were held at that time.'The London meeting also signaled Tarique Rahman's likely return to Bangladesh after 16 years in exile, potentially reshaping the political landscape. His return, timed around national elections, could further energize the BNP a student-led uprising in August 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted and now resides in self-imposed exile in India. An interim government led by Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus was formed in the wake of her currently on a four-day official visit to London, also faced diplomatic friction, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined a meeting, reportedly due to concerns raised by the Awami inputs from ANIMust Watch
