Awami League rejects Bangladesh election schedule, accuses interim government of bias

Bangladesh’s Awami League has rejected the election schedule announced by the country’s Election Commission (EC), claiming that free and fair polls cannot be conducted under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

The EC on Thursday evening declared that the country’s 13th national parliamentary election, alongside a July Charter referendum, will be held on 12 February next year.

In a statement, the Awami League criticised the schedule issued by what it described as the “illegal, occupying, killer-fascist Yunus clique’s illegal Election Commission”. The party alleged that the current authority is entirely biased and that under its control it is impossible to create a fair and transparent electoral environment that reflects the people’s will.

The party further claimed that attempting to hold elections while excluding the Awami League—the party that led the Liberation War—along with other political parties and the majority of the population, is a deliberate effort to push the nation into a deep crisis.

To prevent the situation from worsening, the Awami League demanded the lifting of all restrictions imposed on the party, the withdrawal of what it called “fabricated cases” against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, political leaders, and citizens, and the unconditional release of all political prisoners.

The party also called for the replacement of the “current deceitful occupying government” with a neutral caretaker administration to ensure a free and participatory election.

“Elections are the measure of public popularity. The Awami League is an election-oriented party. We have the strength, courage, and capacity to stand before the people,” the statement read. “Since its founding, the Bangladesh Awami League has contested 13 elections, winning nine and forming the government. We therefore dismiss the announced schedule that excludes representatives of the majority of the people of Bangladesh.”

The statement reflects growing political tension in the country ahead of next year’s elections, with the Awami League positioning itself against what it perceives as a biased interim administration.

With IANS inputs