Supporters of Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia gathered on the streets outside her party headquarters. The supporters were from three groups linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP. Tens of thousands of students and youths rallied in Dhaka on Wednesday and demanded a general election in December as dissatisfaction grows with the interim government formed after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
Rally to call for general elections
The rally took place on Wednesday, weeks after interim leader Muhammad Yunus threatened to quit and the military chief publicly declared his support for an election in December.
Zia was suffering from a prolonged illness for several years, and she recently came back to Bangladesh after four months of medical treatment in London. This put further pressure on Bangladesh’s interim government to call an election.
Muhammad Yunus anti-incumbency
Yunus’s interim government in Bangladesh is facing widespread criticism and instability after 10 months in power. His promises of reforms in areas like election law and women’s rights have been slow to materialise, leading critics to accuse him of delaying tactics to stay in power.
This slow progress, coupled with economic weakness, labour unrest, and perceived failures in prosecuting organised crime, has sparked protests from diverse groups, including civil servants and teachers.
Politically, Yunus is under immense pressure from the BNP, led by the exiled Tarique Rahman, who demands elections by December, rejecting Yunus’s proposed June 2026 timeline and the argument that reforms must precede them.
The government’s challenges are further compounded by the exile of opposition figure Hasina and the visible rise of Islamist influence, which is concerning a fatigued military eager for a return to democratic rule.
(With AP Inputs)