The Voice News:Tens of thousands of students and youth activists affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took to the streets of Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding a general election by December. The protest highlights growing dissatisfaction with the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which assumed power after the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year.
Under heightened security, demonstrators from three BNP-aligned student organizations gathered outside the party’s central headquarters. The rally followed weeks of rising political tension, particularly after Yunus recently threatened to resign, prompting the country’s military chief to call publicly for an election by the end of the year.
Khaleda Zia, the ailing BNP chief and former prime minister, returned to Bangladesh this month after four months of medical treatment in London, intensifying pressure on the interim regime. Her longtime rival, Sheikh Hasina, remains in exile in India, and her party—the Awami League—has been banned by the current administration.
BNP’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, who is also Zia’s son and lives in exile in London, was expected to address the rally via video.
The interim government is facing criticism on multiple fronts. Civil servants, school teachers, and tax department staff have staged protests over its failure to tackle organized crime. Business leaders have also voiced concerns about economic instability and escalating labor unrest.
While Yunus pledged reforms in election law, women’s rights, and governance upon taking office, critics accuse him of deliberately slowing the process to prolong his hold on power. His tenure has also seen increased influence of Islamist groups in a country historically governed by a secular constitution.
The military, which has been deployed since July 2024 to maintain order, is reportedly frustrated with the prolonged political uncertainty and delayed return to democratic rule.
During a recent meeting with Yunus, the BNP insisted that elections must be held by December, warning that if Yunus steps down, a new interim leadership must be swiftly installed. However, Yunus later clarified that he intends to remain in office, stating elections could be held by June 2026, depending on the pace of reform implementation.
BNP leaders rejected that timeline, arguing that reform is a continuous process and should not be used to delay the return to democratic governance.
