Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman’s call for national elections to be held by December has sparked cautious optimism among Bangladesh’s major political parties and civil society.
Speaking at the cantonment on Wednesday, General Waker emphasized the need for an elected government to steer the country forward, saying, “Only an elected government will determine the course of the country—not an administration that is not accountable to the people or unwilling to be accountable.”
Political leaders welcomed the army chief’s comments as a timely intervention during a period of political uncertainty and governance instability. The remarks come amid confusion over election scheduling, with Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus previously indicating a possible timeframe between December and June.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said that the army chief has assured the nation at a critical moment. “We welcome this statement. Because this military wants a free and fair election in the country as soon as possible - this is very positive. Because all the problems of the country will be solved through elections - that is what he wanted and said. In that regard, he undoubtedly made a good speech before the nation.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has called on Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus to convene an all-party meeting to resolve the country’s ongoing political crisis.
He made the call at an emergency meeting of the party’s executive committee held at the central office in Moghbazar on Thursday.
Political analyst Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque said that the army chief made such a statement because of weak politics. The army chief's statement is positive, but the extent to which these will be implemented depends on the government.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of the Nagorik Oikya said that the army chief had previously spoken about national elections in December. However, the issue of elections was not very hot at that time. When he spoke about the national election in December again on Wednesday, it was time to be serious about the election. I welcome this positive statement by the army chief.
He said that the election is possible by December. But there is no reaction from the government on the army chief's statement.
Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh, said that the army chief's statement on the election is a reflection of the will and aspirations of the political parties and the people. The discomfort that has arisen over the election has been revealed through his statement. How the government takes his statement is important.
He said that since the government is not a party, they should take the army chief's statement positively, complete the reform work within a month and hold the election by December.
NCP senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adeeb said that the army is an important stakeholder in the country. When a decision needs to be taken on the country's affairs, the army can have its say for the sake of collective opinion. But they should not have a single statement on the country's politics. This creates complications. The army should maintain professionalism.
“We support the timeline announced by the chief adviser for the elections from December to June. The elections can be held within this period. However, we have talked about justice and reforms in the meantime,” he added.
(Translated by Tanvir Raihan)
