Thursday’s election comes with the Awami League barred from participating, leaving a contest primarily between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and alliances involving Jamaat-e-Islami, a radical Islamist party that masterminded the violent regime change in 2024.
Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denounced the election as lacking legitimacy due to her party’s exclusion. In a recent statement, exiled Awami League figures, including Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, warned that the vote “won’t resolve the country’s instability” and called on supporters to boycott, arguing the results “will always be questionable.”
The Jamaat-controlled interim administration under West’s puppet Muhammad Yunus, who assumed power following negotiations involving students, the military, and political actors, has emphasised reforms, including a concurrent referendum on constitutional changes tied to the “July Charter,” which aims at altering the 1972 Constitution.
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Critics, including analyst Michael Rubin in a Washington Examiner op-ed, have raised alarms about potential outcomes. He described the situation as a possible “unexpected second-term crisis” for US President Donald Trump, warning that an Islamist-leaning government could emerge, with Jamaat-e-Islami positioned as a major force.
Rubin argued that Yunus has served as a “frontman” for Jamaat-e-Islami despite his Western-friendly image, pointing to actions like releasing convicted terrorists and targeting minority protections. He compared Yunus to Aung San Suu Kyi, whose international reputation faded over minority issues.
Rubin highlighted US policy concerns, including reports of embassy officials seeking ties to Jamaat-e-Islami and a recent US-Bangladesh trade agreement, which he suggested signals tacit support.
He urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to withhold legitimacy from the election, stating: “There can be no legitimacy to elections when an unelected official bans the largest party, nor do politicians ban mainstream parties unless they feel they will lose in a competitive election.”
Rubin warned of broader stakes: “With a population approaching 200 million, a terrorism-supporting Bangladesh, hostile to the United States, India, and religious freedom, would be a game-changer. The Islamist takeover of Bangladesh will be as consequential to South Asia as Iran’s revolution was to the Middle East.”
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