 "Nahid Islam, one of the main leaders in the Bangladeshi student protests, gave the clarion call of ‘Hasina must resign’ from the campus of Dhaka University. File image/Reuters")
Nahid Islam, the leader of the newly formed political party Jatiya Nagorik Party, has said that Bangladesh is not ready for general elections as the interim government under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has been unable to ensure public safety in the country.
“In the past seven months, we all expected the policing system, law and order to be restored through short-term reforms. It has happened to an extent, but not up to our expectations,” Islam told Reuters.
“In the current law and order situation and policing system, I don’t think it is possible to hold a national election,” the 26-year-old said in his first interview as JNP’s head at his government-provided villa in Dhaka.
Until recently, Islam was an adviser to the interim government but he quit the post to become the convenor of his party. He is the first politician to cast doubt on Yunus’ timeframe for an election.
His comments come after Yunus , earlier this week, confirmed that elections in Bangladesh will be held in December this year. “If additional reforms are needed, and taking into account national consensus, it may take at least another six months,” he said.
Political analysts believe his youth-led party could significantly reshape national politics, dominated for decades by Hasina’s Awami League party and her rival, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
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While Islam said that his party will be ready to fight the elections whenever they are held, he thinks it would be crucial to reach a consensus on the so-called ‘Proclamation of the July Revolution’ - a charter that the interim government plans to prepare in consultations with political parties and student activists.
“If we can reach that consensus within a month, we can call for elections immediately. But if it takes more time, the election should be deferred,” he added.
With inputs from Reuters