All eyes are now on Bangladesh’s interim government as the one-week deadline for political parties to reach a consensus on the July Charter referendum expires Sunday, with no major headway made.
The government has warned that it will impose its own decision if the parties fail to agree, heightening pressure to resolve the deadlock and avert a confrontation that could threaten the country’s fragile political stability.
Political analysts warn that if the parties fail to reach a compromise, confrontation on the streets could create space for “fallen fascist forces” to re-emerge and threaten the democratic process painstakingly restored in recent months.
They say the interim administration, led by Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, now bears the responsibility of mediating between the rival blocs – or, if necessary, imposing a decision under its constitutional mandate.
“If the political parties can’t reach a consensus, then the interim government will take a decision as per its mandate,” Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, told the media.
Asked whether the government was currently brokering talks between the parties, he replied, “The advisory council can say about it.”
At a public event on Saturday, Shafiqul Alam described the current situation as “an existential political crisis” and urged all sides to “come together to defend democracy”.
He reaffirmed the government’s “full commitment to holding the election in the first half of February”, insisting there should be “no uncertainty” about that timeline.
The interim government issued a one-week directive on 3 November, following an advisory council decision, calling on parties to reach a consensus through dialogue.
Political sources say informal mediation efforts are underway but have yet to produce tangible results.
“Some unofficial discussions are taking place,” Shafiqul Alam said at a press conference on Thursday.
“If the parties fail to make a decision within the time frame, the interim government will proceed to make its own decision. Preparatory meetings are already underway.”
The political standoff largely centres on when the referendum should be held.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) insists it take place on the same day as the national election, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies demand it be held beforehand. Despite some backchannel communications, neither side has budged.
BNP leaders have reportedly refused to engage in formal dialogue with Jamaat, citing “principled differences”, while Jamaat remains adamant that “the referendum must precede the polls”.
Eight parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have warned the interim government not to attempt to align the referendum with the national election. In a joint statement issued after a meeting of the eight-party liaison committee at the Dhaka metropolitan office of the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA) on Saturday, they threatened to announce “a strict programme” from their planned mass rally on 11 November if their demands were not met.
Jamaat and its allies have also presented a five-point demand, including the call for a pre-election referendum.
“Before the mass rally in Dhaka on 11 November, we urge the interim government to accept our demands. Otherwise, the situation in Dhaka will be different,” warned Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar.
Addressing a separate event in the capital on Saturday, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury cautioned against political brinkmanship.
“You [Jamaat and allies] will go on the streets in words. Now if another party (BNP) goes on the streets to protest, what will happen? Won’t there be clashes?” he asked.
“If a larger party takes to the streets in Bangladesh, there will be clashes. The people of Bangladesh do not want to see conflicting politics; they want stability.”
He added that the interim government had been formed under the constitutional framework and that the constitution contains “no provision for a referendum”.
“If a referendum is to be held,” he said, “it can only take place after the next parliament is elected and passes the necessary legislation.”
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad, speaking at the same event, said the party had invited the BNP Secretary General for talks, but the invitation was declined.
“If the BNP invites, Jamaat will go and invite others as well,” he said.
Azad stressed that Jamaat had “no objection” to holding the parliamentary election in February but that its movement for the five-point demand, including the referendum and a proportional representation system, would continue.
BNP Vice Chairman Mohammad Shahjahan said the parties must prioritise “the interests of the people and the country”.
“They should avoid exaggeration. In any way, the anti-fascist forces should keep their unity intact to prevent the resurrection of fascism. I hope good sense will prevail,” he told the Daily Sun.
BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal urged the interim government to take more proactive steps to end the deadlock.
He accused Jamaat and several smaller parties of raising the demand for a pre-election referendum “with an evil motive of delaying the national election”.
Sources within the BNP Standing Committee said the party resolved at its Thursday meeting to remain firm on its position of holding the referendum on election day, rejecting any compromise.
The committee’s resolution stated that the BNP “firmly believes that all political parties concerned will remain united in implementing the consensus reached after long discussions” and that “no one should create new crises or obstacles to the election process aimed at re-establishing democracy”.
The BNP also urged the interim government to “take sincere and effective measures to legally implement all the issues agreed upon in the July National Charter and to hold national elections on time”.
Meanwhile, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Saturday —one day before the deadline set by the interim government for resolving disagreements over the July Charter and the proposed referendum – indicated that his party is willing to join discussions if the chief adviser himself issues the invitation.
However, he questioned why another political group is being used to convey the government’s call for dialogue.
At the same time, the BNP leader warned the interim government against excessive displays of power, reminding it that it is not an elected body. “Such behaviour does not befit a caretaker administration, and they must not forget that,” he cautioned.
Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar told the media that his party remained “ready to sit in talks with the BNP to resolve the issue”.
He said, “We already offered them. We are telling the government to mediate the issue. It is the responsibility of the interim government to mediate the talks to resolve the crisis.”
Asked whether Jamaat would launch tougher action if its demands were not met by 11 November, he replied, “Time will say what will happen.”
Political experts say the interim government now holds the key to averting a potentially destabilising confrontation. Prof Dr Sabbir Ahmed of the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University told the media, “Now the ball is in the court of the interim government. If it wishes, it can resolve the deadlock by arranging talks between the political parties. Otherwise, I hope the government will declare its decision and the parties must abide by it.”
Professor Kazi Md Mahbubur Rahman, also of Dhaka University, agreed that mediation is essential.
“The government should facilitate dialogue between the parties,” he said, adding, “If necessary, they may take a little more time for discussions, but they must come up with a solution. I believe a solution will come.”
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, briefing the media on 3 November about the Advisory Council’s latest decision, urged anti-fascist political alliances to engage in constructive dialogue and offer “unified guidance” to the government within a week.
“If such guidance is received, it will be much easier for the government to take decisions,” he said.
Nazrul emphasised the urgency of resolving the crisis: “We all need to keep in mind that there is no scope to waste time in the current situation.” He reaffirmed that “the next parliamentary elections will be held in the first half of February 2026.”
Courtesy: Daily Sun.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
