Dhaka, Jan 20 (IANS) The tendency of political parties in Bangladesh to issue warnings to the interim government over the fairness of the general election shows no sign of slowing down, even as polling day draws closer in the unrest-hit country.
With only a few days remaining for the elections, political parties have already begun issuing strong “warnings” to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, raising serious questions about the conduct of the polls.
These are the same political outfits that had earlier worked closely together to topple the democratically elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following which Yunus took charge of the interim administration with a promise to bring reforms to the South Asian nation.
However, the confidence that these parties once placed in the interim regime now appears to be steadily eroding.
Repeated concerns have been voiced about the fairness of the electoral process, with parties questioning the neutrality of the Election Commission (EC) and cautioning that the Yunus-led administration will be held accountable if the elections are compromised.
Whether it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), or other political formations, all have accused the current interim government of favouring rival parties in the electoral process.
According to local media reports, a NCP delegation, led by party convener Nahid Islam, met Yunus on Monday afternoon, raising concerns that the impartial behaviour of the EC and administration was not evident at the field level.
The NCP leaders warned that if the polls are not fair and impartial, responsibility will lie with the Yunus-led interim government.
Addressing reporters following the meeting, Nahid said that the NCP delegation highlighted the incidents from the past two to three days that cast doubts on the upcoming elections and contemporary politics, Bangladeshi Bengali daily Bonik Barta reported.
They said that if EC acts in a biased manner, it would undermine the credibility of the elections, adding that the interim government and Yunus would bear the responsibility if the polls are not conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
Nahid also accused the EC of allowing dual citizens and loan defaulters to run for office under pressure from the BNP.
“BNP and its student wing (Chhatra Dal) have created a ‘mob’ and pressure in front of the Election Commission. Senior BNP leaders have gone to the Election Commission and influenced the verdict before the commission gave its verdict (disposing of the candidates’ appeals),” Bonik Barta quoted Nahid as saying.
Earlier on Sunday, the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, met Yunus to express concerns over what it described as “biased” conduct of some Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Commissioners (DCs) at the field level.
Last week, BNP alleged that efforts are underway to disrupt a level playing field ahead of the February 12 elections.
“Over the past few days, we have observed actions that are eroding the level playing field and paving the way for a controversial electoral process,” Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune quoted Mahdi Amin, advisor to the BNP chairperson and spokesperson for the party’s election steering committee, as saying.
Taking an indirect dig at Jamaat, he alleged that a rival party is manipulating religious sentiment by asking voters to pledge on the Quran to vote for a specific electoral symbol, which he described as a breach of election rules.
Bangladesh’s elections, scheduled for February 12, are taking place amid rising political tensions, as parties are increasingly questioning the Yunus-led interim government and the EC over their ability to ensure a credible election.
Despite the ouster of the previous government in the name of ushering in reforms, the situation continues to remain grim, both socially and politically, as uncertainty continues to loom large over the electoral exercise.
–IANS
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