‘Election to be held as scheduled’
Diplomatic Correspondent :
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has reaffirmed that the general election and national referendum will be held strictly on 12 February as scheduled, stressing that the interim government remains fully committed to the announced timeline.
Prof Yunus made the remarks on Tuesday evening during a courtesy call by two former senior United States diplomats – Albert Gombis, former Acting Under Secretary of State, and Morse Tan, former Ambassador-at-Large – at the State Guest House Jamuna.
He said there had been a flood of misinformation and deliberate attempts to create confusion surrounding the election.
However, he made it clear that the interim government would not deviate from its commitment.
Power, he added, would be handed over to a democratically elected government immediately after the announcement of the election results.
“What anyone says is irrelevant. The election will be held on the scheduled date of 12 February – neither a day earlier nor a day later,” the Chief Adviser said.
The Nobel Laureate assured the visiting diplomats that the polls would be free, fair, peaceful and held in a festive atmosphere.
He said the interim government would remain completely neutral during the election period, ensuring equal opportunities for all political parties through an impartial administration.
The two former US officials are visiting Bangladesh ahead of the national election. During the nearly hour-long meeting, the discussions covered a wide range of issues, including the upcoming election, the July mass uprising and its aftermath, the rise of youth-led movements, the July Charter and the referendum, the spread of fake news and misinformation, the Rohingya crisis, and the prospects for truth and reconciliation in post-July Bangladesh.
The Chief Adviser said the interim government was campaigning in favour of a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum.
If endorsed by the people, he said, the July Charter would usher in a new era of democratic governance and eliminate any future scope for authoritarian rule.
Professor Yunus also alleged that supporters of the former fascist regime were spreading disinformation to undermine the electoral process.
He noted, however, that public awareness had increased significantly and that people were increasingly able to identify fake videos generated using artificial intelligence.
Albert Gombis agreed, saying that fake news had emerged as one of the principal enemies of democracy worldwide and that stronger efforts were needed to counter this growing threat.
Both visiting diplomats praised Professor Yunus for his leadership role in governing the country over the past year and a half.
They also asked whether Bangladesh could consider a truth and reconciliation process similar to post-apartheid South Africa.
In response, Professor Yunus said that as a close friend of the late Nelson Mandela, he had observed South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process at close quarters.
However, he did not see the possibility of initiating a similar process in Bangladesh at this stage.
“Truth and reconciliation are only possible when those responsible admit their wrongdoing and express remorse,” he said. “So far, there has been no remorse, no regret.
Instead, they continue to deny their crimes, even claiming that the youths killed during the July uprising were victims of terrorists. Despite overwhelming evidence of brutal crimes, they remain in complete denial.”
SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.