Holding elections now risks pushing the military into crisis, says Farhad Mazhar

Farhad Mazhar, writer and columnist, has said the current conditions in Bangladesh are not suitable for holding elections and warned that proceeding with polls now will compound the military’s woes. 

Speaking at a discussion at Dhaka’s National Press Club on Tuesday, he said he sees many warning signs ahead and urged greater caution. 

He stressed that without unanimous agreement on holding elections, Bangladesh risks heading toward disaster.

Several political parties, including the BNP, have demanded national elections as part of reform initiatives, though differences persist among the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party. 

The BNP’s pressure on the government has intensified, culminating in a meeting between Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London. Their joint statement hinted at elections in February. Yunus officially announced plans to hold polls before Ramadan during the July Uprising anniversary speech on Aug 5.

Mazhar criticised interim government positions supporting elections, calling the process rigged to reinstall “looter mafia” groups who have amassed wealth through corruption. 

He warned that the election costs run into tens of millions of taka, excluding common party workers, and rejected the idea of a parliament dominated by these corrupt elites.

He accused the government of blocking constitutional reforms and nation-building, maintaining a “fascist state” while trying to reinstate corrupt rulers -- an act he vows not to tolerate.

Mazhar also slated government plans to bypass military authority over security matters like the proposed economic corridor through Chittagong Port, highlighting a lack of consultation with the Army chief.

At the event organised by the “People’s Power Assembly” at Maulana Akram Khan Hall, Mazhar questioned the BNP’s immediate election demands, urging political consensus and reform proposals instead.

Reflecting on the July Uprising, he noted that Bangladesh was effectively independent for four days until the interim government’s formation on Aug 8 following the fall of the government last year.