Dhaka erupted into a contentious parliamentary election on Thursday, but the Awami League has thrown down a stark warning to the international community. Labeling the polls a ‘sham,’ the party urgently appealed for intervention to prevent Bangladesh from spiraling into fragmentation and chaos.
In a scathing statement, Awami League leaders asserted that this orchestrated exercise isn’t merely aimed at sidelining their influence. It systematically excludes moderate political voices opposing extremism and championing a liberal Bangladesh. Millions of voters aligned with the party’s progressive ideals face death threats, intimidation, and state-sponsored violence, forcing them to cast ballots against their will—a calculated ploy to inflate turnout figures and mask the farce.
The atmosphere reeks of mob terror, with lynchings and brutal tortures dominating the scene. Jails overflow not just with Awami League supporters but also journalists, human rights activists, and anti-war crimes campaigners, slapped with fabricated murder charges. Since the government’s ouster, minorities teeter on the brink of extermination, branded as party loyalists and subjected to unchecked killings and assaults.
Women, comprising half the electorate, stare down a grim future. Excluded from national policy-making under the guise of building democracy, they endure a dark era of uncertainty. Visual evidence has surfaced of rival parties brazenly flouting election codes, engineering outcomes in plain sight.
Awami League slammed the interim regime under Yunus for squandering public funds on a referendum masquerading as public consultation. This anti-secular push is a blatant constitutional violation, plotting to erase the blood-soaked charter forged by liberation war heroes who fought Pakistan’s occupying forces.
The party beseeched foreign observers and global stakeholders to expose the glaring irregularities and manipulations. Trusting Yunus’s lofty rhetoric risks plunging Bangladesh into prolonged instability. Over the past 17 months, grand promises have crumbled, transforming the nation into a haven for intolerant groups and a dangerously volatile hotspot.
As voting unfolds across 299 seats, with counts to follow immediately, the world watches a democracy hanging by a thread. Awami League’s cry underscores a pivotal moment: ignore it, and Bangladesh’s fragile social fabric could unravel irreparably.