Bangladesh election this year may be difficult due to unrest: Nahid Islam

Md. Nahid Islam, the convener of the National Citizens‍‍` Party (NCP), raised concerns about the feasibility of holding this year’s national election due to the ongoing political instability.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, he emphasized that the interim government has not yet fully restored public safety, making it difficult to conduct a fair and secure election,  reports Prothom Alo.

Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister, was removed from power last August following large-scale, student-led protests that often turned violent. 

In the aftermath, Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government. Earlier this month, Yunus expressed hope that despite the unrest, national elections could still be held by the end of 2025.

However, Nahid Islam, in his first interview since assuming leadership of the NCP, shared his doubts. 

He remarked, "For the past seven months, we have all been hoping that short-term reforms would stabilize the policing system and restore law and order. While there have been some improvements, it hasn’t reached the level we had hoped for."

He further added, "Given the current state of law enforcement and public safety, I don’t believe it will be possible to hold a national election under these conditions."

Last month, Nahid Islam stepped down from his role as an advisor to the interim government to lead the newly-formed National Citizens‍‍` Party, a political group spearheaded by students and youth. His concerns about the timing of the election mark the first time a politician has publicly questioned Professor Yunus’s proposed election timeline.

Political analysts believe that under Nahid Islam’s leadership, the NCP could bring about significant changes to the political landscape of Bangladesh. 

For decades, the country’s political arena has been dominated by two major parties—Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Both the Awami League and the BNP have been calling for early elections, insisting that power should be returned to a democratically elected government as soon as possible.