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As global attention turns toward Dhaka, serious allegations have surfaced from exiled former ambassador Mohammad Haroon Al Rashid, who has questioned the credibility of the upcoming polls.
Bangladesh: General polls are scheduled to be held on 12 February
Dhaka: General elections are scheduled to be held in Bangladesh on February 12, marking the country’s first national vote since the overthrow of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
As global attention turns toward Dhaka, serious allegations have surfaced from exiled former ambassador Mohammad Haroon Al Rashid, who has questioned the credibility of the upcoming polls.
‘Ugliest Election in Bangladesh’s History’
In an interview with the Sri Lanka-based think tank Trinco Centre for Strategic Studies (TSST), Rashid described the forthcoming election as potentially the “ugliest” in Bangladesh’s history.
“Yunus calls everything ‘beautiful,’ but I believe this election will reveal the ugliest face in Bangladesh’s history,” Rashid said. “I’m not exaggerating. He has protected himself for a long time by repackaging bad things as good. This time, he won’t survive.”
Rashid accused interim government chief advisor Muhammad Yunus of attempting to manipulate the electoral process to retain influence in the next administration.
‘Not a Real Election’
According to Rashid, the February 12 vote is not a genuine democratic contest but rather a struggle between two factions that emerged after Sheikh Hasina’s removal in 2024.
He claimed the contest is effectively between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies on one side, and Jamaat-e-Islami and its partners on the other.
Comparing BNP and Jamaat
Rashid further alleged that neither bloc represents democratic values. Speaking to TSST, he said that ideologically the BNP resembles Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, though not structurally, while Jamaat-e-Islami bears similarities to Hamas in Palestine.
He argued that no credible democratic party has been allowed to participate freely in the election. “Yunus is openly trying to control the outcome so that he remains at the center of the next government,” Rashid claimed. He also accused Jamaat affiliates, including the NCP, of playing an active role in the 2024 unrest under the banner of the so-called Quota Movement.
A ‘Setback for Humanity’
Describing the developments in Bangladesh as deeply alarming, Rashid said the country’s shifting global image-from a secular republic to one increasingly associated with extremism-represents a broader setback.
“The devastation wrought by Yunus’s eighteen-month usurpation has undone decades of progress,” he stated. “It has destroyed the economy built under Sheikh Hasina and eroded Bangladesh’s secular identity, historical memory, and the moral legacy of its liberation struggle. This is not just political degradation; it is a barbarity against an entire civilization.”
As Bangladesh prepares for its first post-Hasina election, Rashid’s remarks add to mounting tensions surrounding what is shaping up to be one of the country’s most closely watched and controversial polls.
