How the Yunus-Tarique meeting in London helped break deadlock over Bangladesh’s elections

On Friday, 13 June, all eyes in Bangladesh were on the Dorchester hotel in London as Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus held a historic meeting with BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Following the ouster of an authoritarian regime in August last year, the nation had hoped for a smooth democratic transition. However, it found itself stuck in a deadlock over the never-ending debate of 'reform versus election'.

The two leaders have finally agreed to stand on common ground. According to a joint statement, the elections could be held in the second week of February, given all preparations are completed. 

Yunus has held meetings with various political parties at different times over the past months. However, this particular meeting carried more significance for several reasons. Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said this historic meeting is a 'game-over moment' for the conspirators.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since 2008. But above all, it is a win for the people of Bangladesh — putting an end to the election-date debate and taking the nation one step forward on its journey toward democracy.

Political analyst Saimum Parvez believes the meeting has offered a win-win situation. 

"BNP has made some compromises by agreeing to hold the election in February instead of December. On the other hand, the interim government has also agreed to hold the election in February instead of April. So, it's a win-win situation. There should no longer be any disagreement over the election date," he told The Business Standard.

Parvez also said that a tendency toward depoliticisation has been observed over the past ten months, with political stakeholders often being sidelined in various matters.

"The interim government was formed through a collective effort. We never wanted people to take to the streets against a government that was founded on national consensus. That's why I believe the fact that the issue was resolved at the discussion table is a good sign for our democratic journey," he added.

Meanwhile, Altaf Parvez took to Facebook to write, "The meeting between Tarique Rahman and team Yunus indicates that the political centre of gravity in Bangladesh now rests with Tarique Rahman. Signs are clear that he is gradually establishing sole control over the situation."

Altaf Parvez, a researcher of politics and history, believes that Dr Yunus had little choice but to meet with Tarique Rahman, as the past ten months of his administration saw so few administrative, political, and diplomatic successes that he could no longer move forward on his own.

However, Saimum Parvez believes Bangladesh's democratic journey is far from over. 

"We have crossed an important milestone on the path to democracy, but it will remain incomplete until an elected government comes to power through a free and fair election. In this interim period leading up to the election, it is crucial for all of us to stay united."

"Through this meeting, we have reached an agreement regarding the election date. Now, we must remain committed to that decision. The government must stay vigilant to ensure that no ill-intentioned force can intervene or push us back toward depoliticisation," he added.

BNP has long been demanding an electoral roadmap. For the past few months, it called for elections to be held by December this year. This demand has divided other political parties into two camps — some agree with this demand, while others argue that polls should be held later, citing the need for reforms and trials as prerequisites.

At one point, the Chief Advisor set a timeframe, stating that the elections would be held between December this year and June next year. Still, the deadlock persisted. What was needed was a specific month and date.

Finally, in an address to the nation on Eid-ul-Adha on 6 June, the CA said the election will be held any day in the first half of April 2025. However, that too sparked new concerns — extreme heat, the overlap with public examinations, and the impracticality of campaigning during Ramadan.

So, the nation finally found an answer through the meeting.

"The most important message this meeting conveys is that the July uprising is, for now, turning into a mere transfer of power and perhaps that is better than a worse alternative. The administrative actions of the past ten months have proven to be excessively costly for Bangladesh. The sooner that burden is resolved, the better."

Altaf Parvez, politics and history researcher

However, the post-meeting joint statement also mentioned the achievement of sufficient progress on reforms and trials by the election time as a necessary condition. Will that be possible to realise?

During the Awami League's tenure, people were deprived of their voting rights due to dummy elections. It is true that the public now has high expectations for a free and fair election, as well as the ability to vote freely. However, it is also true that without fundamental structural reforms, holding a genuinely fair election will remain a challenge.

Altaf Parvez wrote, "The most important message this meeting conveys is that the July uprising is, for now, turning into a mere transfer of power and perhaps that is better than a worse alternative. The administrative actions of the past ten months have proven to be excessively costly for Bangladesh. The sooner that burden is resolved, the better."

"Reforms and trials are ongoing processes. They will continue both before and after the election. But these cannot be used as an excuse to delay the election. Moreover, it's not that an elected government won't carry these forward. In fact, BNP has always shown keen interest in reforms," said Saimum Parvez.