Thousands rally in Bangladesh capital as major political event demands quick reforms and an election

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Tens of thousands of activists of a leading political event in Bangladesh rallied in the country’s capital on Friday, calling for a recent election and quick reforms.

The country is under an interim government after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled in August.

The Bangladesh Nationalist event, or BNP, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia organized the rally as it has been pushing the interim government, headed by Nobel tranquility laureate Muhammad Yunus, to bring about quick reforms and to hold the next national election.

Hasina and Zia are the main political rivals in a dynastic political framework. Zia is ailing and was unable to navigator the rally in person, and her elder son, Tarique Rahman, is the heir apparent and has been living in exile since 2008.

On Friday, BNP activists took to the streets of Dhaka and marched through major thoroughfares before reaching the country’s national parliament building to symbolize that they were eager for their event to form the next government.

The Yunus-led government hasn’t declared any timeframe for the next election. The BNP had initially demanded election in three months after Yunus took over three days after Hasina fled the country to India on Aug. 5 amid a learner-led mass uprising, ending her 15-year rule.

The BNP leaders had earlier said the Yuns-led government should shift forward to hold the election, rather than staying in power for long, but the event wants to provide the government a reasonable amount of period to bring some reforms.

On Friday, Rahman said by videoconference from London that the interim government mustn’t be allowed to fall short under any circumstance as the government has been facing solemn challenges to bring order in the country. Hasina’s Awami League event and its allies are also facing challenges to navigate through the recent political scenario.

Avoiding any direct reference about next election, Rahman said that the government must receive effective steps to meet the expectations of the people. BNP leaders have recently indicated that the event would leave ahead with plans for street protests in two to three months if the interim government doesn’t roll out a road chart for the next election.

Rahman told his cheering supporters to remain vigilant as he said that the accomplices of the former government of Hasina were still energetic.

“The accomplices of the exiled autocrats are still now at home and abroad, in governance and administration, actively working to unsettle the interim government. This interim government must not be allowed to fall short under any circumstances,” said Rahman, also his event’s acting chairman.

“(But) the interim government must receive effective steps to meet the expectations of the people. This is what the community desires today,” he said.

Friday’s political display came as Hasina is facing charges of crimes against humanity for hundreds of deaths involving the July-August uprising in the country. The government said that it would seek her repatriation from India once a court selection comes.