Jamaat-e-Islami declares that Bangladesh’s next general elections cannot be held under a caretaker government system, even if reinstated by the Supreme Court. Political tensions rise as BNP and interim government debate election neutrality.
As Bangladesh edges closer to a politically charged general election next year, the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami has asserted that the country’s upcoming national polls cannot be conducted under a caretaker government system — even if the Supreme Court were to reinstate it through its ruling.
The statement comes amid mounting political tension and legal wrangling over the structure of the election-time administration, as the country’s major political factions remain deeply divided on the issue.
Following Tuesday’s hearing at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, which marked the fourth day of proceedings on appeals seeking restoration of the election-time caretaker system, Jamaat’s lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir told reporters that the current political reality makes such a system impossible to implement.
“There is talk of forming a caretaker government within 15 days of the dissolution of parliament. Now there is no parliament. Parliament was dissolved more than a year ago. The interim government is already running the country. Apart from that, there are some other issues. Therefore, even if the caretaker government system returns under the Supreme Court’s ruling, it is not possible in the upcoming elections,” Monir said, as quoted by Daily Jugantor.
The Appellate Division is currently hearing multiple appeals and review petitions challenging the 2011 Supreme Court verdict that abolished the caretaker government provision from the Constitution. The provision, originally introduced in the 1990s, was designed to ensure neutral oversight during national elections — a mechanism long demanded by opposition parties to prevent ruling party influence in the polls.
During last week’s hearing, Monir reiterated Jamaat’s position that reinstating the system under the present conditions would be “legally and practically unfeasible.” He further added that whatever judgment the apex court delivers should remain consistent with the principles laid out in the July Charter’s proposals, which outlined political and constitutional reform measures, including guidelines on election-time governance.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — the country’s principal opposition group — has taken a slightly different position. The party has urged the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to assume the role of a de facto caretaker authority to ensure that next year’s elections, scheduled for February, are conducted in a “free, fair, and credible” manner.
“Today, we came to the Chief Advisor to discuss some of our political concerns, especially the upcoming parliamentary election to be held in February next year. What is necessary from this moment is to make the national election meaningful, neutral, and acceptable to all. The interim government can play a role as a caretaker government to this end,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir during a press briefing after meeting with Yunus.
However, the proposal reflects growing confusion and division among political actors who were once united in their opposition to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. The very coalition that rallied behind Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in toppling the Hasina administration is now fractured over constitutional interpretation and election oversight mechanisms.
Political analysts in Dhaka warn that Bangladesh is heading toward another cycle of political unrest, with both Jamaat and BNP pressing for divergent interpretations of how to achieve “neutral governance” ahead of the national polls.
While Jamaat maintains that restoring the caretaker system is irrelevant under current circumstances, BNP insists that the interim setup must function as an impartial authority, similar to the abolished caretaker system, to prevent allegations of bias or manipulation.
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Observers note that unless a political consensus emerges soon, the situation could deepen the ongoing political and constitutional crisis, threatening the stability of the country’s electoral process.
Bangladesh’s political landscape thus remains on edge, with the Supreme Court’s forthcoming verdict expected to play a decisive role in determining whether next year’s election can proceed smoothly — or spiral into further controversy and confrontation.
