বৃহস্পতিবার, ১৬ এপ্রিল ২০২৬, ০৯:৫৫ অপরাহ্ন
1. Fixing the Election Framework:
Bangladesh today stands at a critical political crossroads, where an election is no longer merely a constitutional process of forming a government—it has now become a struggle for the moral legitimacy of the state, public aspirations, and a new political settlement. The mass uprising of July 2024 had signaled a new social contract, rising above the old power structure, which is now being discussed as the “July Charter.” At this juncture, the essential question has become inevitable—will the next election be a continuation of the political process shaped during Sheikh Hasina’s rule, or will a restructured electoral framework be formed based on the people’s mandate of the July uprising (the July Charter)?
2. Two Models, Two Paths, Two Legitimacies :
(a) Election in Hasina’s Method
Centralized control of the administration and election system
An arrangement dependent on negotiations among political parties
Elections without structural reforms or formal public approval
Considering international or party recognition as the main source of legitimacy
➡️ This path will be seen as a repetition of the old power structure, where public aspirations for “system change” remain ignored.
(b) Election Based on the July Charter
Based on a political and constitutional ‘social contract’
Approval of the election framework, Election Commission, and state reforms through public support
Receiving a direct mandate from the people through referendum
Determination of the legitimacy of the state structure before the election, not after the formation of government
➡️ This is the essence of the July revolution—constitutional reinstatement of people’s ownership of power.
3. For Dr. Yunus, Not a Crisis of Legitimacy, but an Opportunity:
The greatest strength of the interim government is—the opportunity to gain direct public legitimacy before the election.
If an elected government receives this opportunity, they will not feel obliged to revalidate their mandate.
Therefore, if a referendum is held now:
✅ The moral and constitutional legitimacy of Dr. Yunus’s government will be established
✅ The Election Commission will gain unquestionable acceptance
✅ The scope for future partisan disputes over the election framework will narrow
✅ The spirit of the July movement will receive a legal-political seal
But if this moment passes:
❗ The source of legitimacy will no longer be “the people”, it will become “the mercy of the elected power”
❗ The mandate of July will be reduced to slogans of history
❗ A new government, if it wishes, can revert to the old state structure
❗ Dr. Yunus’s reform initiatives may be revoked or altered by the next government based on political will
4. BNP’s Demand vs the Demand of July :
Naturally, BNP wants an early election because:
The political equation is currently in their favor
The reaction to being out of power for a long time has created political urgency
They want to shorten the path to power by avoiding the debate of “reforms first, or election first”
On the other hand, the July movement demands:
Not change of power, but change of the system
Election means not just forming a government, but a public contract for state restructuring
The charter of legitimacy of the public movement must be approved by the people’s vote
Here lies the fundamental clash of two visions:
BNP wants legitimacy for forming a government through votes,
The July Charter wants legitimacy of the state structure through votes.
5. History Will Judge by Mandate, Not by Compromise :
If Dr. Yunus—
🔹 chooses an election through compromise or political convenience with BNP → then he will remain merely an elected transitional manager in history. He will not become the architect of July’s transformation.
🔹 legitimizes the July Charter through a referendum → then he will become the first publicly mandated architect of restructuring the state of Bangladesh, whose legitimacy will not be written at the doorstep of any party, but in the ballots of the people.
This is the moment to determine the future direction of the state,
Not a change of power—this is the moment to change the source of power.
Time is running out.
The sooner the referendum happens, the deeper the legitimacy will be.
Delay means leaving the weight of legitimacy in the hands of others.
6. Final Words:
Bangladesh today belongs not to any individual, not to any party—it awaits a new social contract.
Therefore, the question is no longer political, it is historical:
“Will the next election be a repeat of the past, or the people’s new constitutional pledge?”
সম্পাদক আল মাহদী; উপদেষ্টা সম্পাদক আল ফাতাহ হাবিবুল্লাহ
ঠিকানা : সাংবাদিক ভবন, বাসা নং ২২১/২২২ রোড়ঃ ৩৫ ব্লকঃ ট সেকশন নং- ৬ রূপনগর মিরপুর ঢাকা-১২১৬।
