CA's announcement of next national election

Amidst countrywide festive celebrations of the first anniversary of the fall of the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday, Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus made a couple of declarations that the nation has been eagerly waiting for. In the afternoon of that day, the interim government chief, flanked by leaders of the different political parties, read out the July Declaration that encapsulates people's aspirations in the mass uprising in 2024 and, in the evening, in a televised address to the nation, he announced a definite timeline -- in February next, before the holy month of Ramadan -- for the next general election.

Dr Yunus has now pushed the ball into the court of the politicians. However, it will be his responsibility to ensure a free, fair, peaceful and credible election. Holding such an important national event under the prevailing circumstances is easier said than done, particularly when the relevant public agencies are not in order because of illegal political interference by the last autocratic regime. The latter had undermined most national institutions to cling to power. Institutional readiness apart, other issues of great import need to be taken into cognisance. Political parties have divergent stances on a few reforms, representation in parliament and poll timing. Though the National Consensus Commission (NCC) has been trying hard to get them to a common point, there are differences. The largest political party, BNP welcomed the announcement on polls immediately. Others, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh and the National Citizens' Party (NCP) also welcomed it. However, they attached a few conditions. 

For individual political parties, it is nothing unusual to bargain for what suit them most. But they possibly will not contest the fact that a free, fair and credible election is the need of the hour. The necessity of holding polls without further delay is not only for the restoration of the people's right to vote, but also for the sake of economy. Businesses are longing for the early transition to democracy and the installation of a government elected by the people in a free, fair and peaceful election. Political uncertainty, poor law and order, and decline in consumption expenditure and banking sector ills have been deeply troubling them. Though the country's balance of payments and forex reserves situation has made notable improvement because of deft handling by the incumbent governor of the central bank, overall, the economy is not in a good shape. Slowdown in private investment and decline in employment growth are the best indicators here. Blame for such a deplorable situation largely goes to Sheikh Hasina's government. Her party stalwarts, loyalists and cronies emptied vaults of some public and private banks, plundered development project funds worth billions of dollars and laundered a large part of the same. 

The interim government, headed by Dr Yunus, had shouldered a difficult yet enormous task, political or otherwise, after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. It would not be an exaggeration if one notes that the new administration failed to have the full grasp of the situation prevailing in many areas, and it faltered, primarily because of the lack of experience and seriousness of some advisers and post-uprising instability. Such deficiencies notwithstanding, Dr Yunus emerged as the man of the moment and a symbol of unanimity when the question of choosing a leader in the vacuum had arisen. Now he has stepped into the most important phase of his interim administration. He has to steer the electoral process up to the last with determination. The interim leader has appealed to the people to take part in the coming election, which, he said, will lay the foundation of a 'New Bangladesh'. The announcement involving the poll timing has removed uncertainty, at least partially. It remains to be seen how things unfold from here on.