Can the interim government exclude Hasina allies? – DW – November 12, 2024

Months after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is awaiting new elections that will produce a new government that could replace the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

The interim leader and Nobel laureate has promised to implement “vital reforms” and then hold a free, fair and inclusive vote in the South Asian country.

But despite assurances of inclusivity, many Bangladeshis are deeply angered by Hasina’s Awami League (AL) and reject the prospect of it simply re-entering the country’s politics like any other major party.

Hasina opponents see the ousted leader and the AL responsible for the deadly violence that claimed hundreds of lives earlier this year.

At least some members of the interim cabinet seem to share this opinion. The Yunus-led government remains in dialogue with major parties to ensure fair elections, but said it would exclude groups it describes as “fascist” or allied with such factions.

In October, the office of the interim government’s chief adviser announced that authorities would prevent the AL and similar parties from political activities. Later, the special assistant to the chief adviser said they would put obstacles in the way of Hasina’s party, and in late October the Yunus government banned the AL’s youth wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), labeling it a “terrorist organization”.

Interim leaders were under pressure from all sides

The Yunus government relies on a broad but fragile alliance of various political parties, minority groups and student protesters who have borne the brunt of the recent violence. With the election date yet to be decided, they can ill afford to anger any section of their base, especially the masses who ousted the Hasina government.

The extent of anti-AL anger was further highlighted when the office of its coalition partner, the Jatiya Party, was set on fire in late October. And this weekend, activists from the BNP party – the AL’s main rival – joined supporters of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party and student protesters in violently preventing an AL rally in Dhaka.

At the same time, however, BNP general secretary Mirza Fakhrul criticized the interim government’s signals to ban Hasina’s party.

“Why exclude the Awami League from the elections if we really want democracy?” he asked.

Does Yunus speak for the people?

Political scientist Sabbir Ahmed told DW that the interim government is interpreting terms like “level playing field for fair elections” in a way that serves its own interests.

“This government, which took power without a popular mandate, does not represent the will of the people,” he told DW, pointing out that the uprising in July and August was largely concentrated in the cities.

“Regardless of what the caretaker government claims, it cannot create a democratic environment for fair electoral competition if it excludes the Awami League,” he added.

AL is desperate to move forward

Not surprisingly, Hasina’s allies also reject the statements pointing to her ban. Former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told DW that AL is committed to working with other political parties to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy and said the politics of hate, denial and revenge must be abolished in Bangladesh.

He also accused the interim government of delaying the elections without sufficient justification, apparently with the intention of taking revenge on the AL.

“Excluding the Awami League – which has the support of almost half of the population – from the election would not entail an inclusive process,” he added. “Such a choice would likely be met with opposition from both the public and the international community.”

Germany wants enlightenment instead of reconciliation

Meanwhile, signals from outside Bangladesh also seem to indicate a desire for internal rapprochement. In conversation with The Daily Staran English language newspaper from Bangladesh, Last week, German Ambassador Achim Tröster said reconciliation was necessary for a peaceful future.

“What it takes is to change your mind and throw away the shadows of a bloody and vengeful past,” he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that reconciliation would not be possible without investigating and acknowledging the truth about the deadly riots.

“To achieve reconciliation, we need to hear the word “sorry” and an apology for the crimes and mistakes committed. Maybe I’m wrong, but unfortunately I haven’t heard it here yet,” he told the newspaper.

The leader of the center-right BJP party, Andaleeve Rahman, also told DW that AL owes an apology to the public.

“Hasina’s party is facing a leadership crisis and can move forward in politics only if it recognizes its responsibility and expresses regret over the deaths during the July-August revolution,” he said. Commenting on the recent arson of the Jatiya Party’s political office, he termed it unacceptable but said Hasina allies deserved the public backlash they are currently facing as they too had betrayed the people.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru