Bangladesh’s Yunus announces elections on revolution anniversary

Bangladesh’s Noble Peace Prize winning interim leader announced when the first elections will take place, encouraging the crowds to seize the “opportunity” for reform to mark the one-year anniversary of Sheikh Hasina’s ousting, according to The New Arab via Reuters on August 5th.

85-year-old Muhammad Yunus, the leader of the caretaker government until elections, revealed the long-awaited polls would be held in February.

Alongside the urgent need for reform, Yunus addressed the need to inhibit forces that wanted to reverse the democratic progress made.

“Today marks an unforgettable chapter in the history of Bangladesh”, Yunus said, toasting the day as “liberating our beloved nation from the grip of long-standing fascist rule”.

This time last year, the South Asian nation was shrouded in political turmoil after a student-led revolt led to the end of the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina after a 15-year rule.

The thunderous crowds that surrounded the parliament in Dhaka applauded Yunus’s proclamation of ensuring good governance, social justice, and further progress towards democratic stability.

Fariha Tamanna, 25, said it was “deeply satisfying” to hear the government “acknowledge the uprising”, adding that even though “wrongs continue”, she can still “hold on to hope”.

These pledges towards democratic governance from Yunus occurs amidst a backdrop of democratic erosion and escalating tensions in the broader South Asian region. Continuous worries Chinese assaults on Taiwan’s democracy have been exacerbated after Taiwan’s Pro-China lawmakers survived recall elections.

Bangladesh themselves have inadvertently suffered from a change in regime, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi adopting a more hardline stance on Bangladeshi Muslims entering India, since the more pro-India government of Hasina was overthrown.

This has reflected broader tensions between India and Bangladesh, and these regional rifts potentially endanger the path to democracy that Yunus aims to steer his nation to.

However, the announcement of elections in February, before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, injects fresh impetus into the path to democracy that numerous political parties had been demanding from Yunus, and provides hope that the country can move on from Hasina’s oppressive rule.

The New Arab via Reuters, Maghrebi.org