The interim government, led by Nobel laureate and Chief Administrator Muhammad Yunus, was formed to guide Bangladesh towards democracy from the turmoil that followed the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, after almost 10 months in power, the Yunus administration has demonstrably failed to fulfil this mandate, with the country descending into further chaos and uncertainty. Growing public protests clearly indicate that the interim government is losing the faith of ordinary Bangladeshis. One of the main criticisms levelled against the Yunus administration is its postponement of the general elections. Even after almost 10 months, the caretaker government remains hesitant to call fresh elections, stating that they will be held between December of this year and June of next year, only after implementing reforms. While the administration speaks of holding polls within this timeframe, indications suggest a reluctance to hold them by December. This was further evidenced by Yunus’s recent visit to Japan, during which he criticised the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a prominent political party, for being the only one demanding elections by December. Although he did not name the party, it was clear he was referring to the BNP, which has recently advocated for December elections. Yunus’s assertion was factually incorrect. Several other parties, including the Gono Forum, a centre-left party, the Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), primarily composed of leftist parties, and the 12-Party Alliance, comprising centre-right to right-wing Islamist parties, have also demanded elections by December. These parties have criticised Yunus for making a misleading claim, particularly on foreign soil. A standing committee member of the BNP even suggested that if elections are not held by December, they may never be held. It is worth noting that the Nationalist Citizen Party (NCP), whose National Convenor Nahid Islam was previously part of the Yunus-led interim government, is the major party opposing elections before reforms. Other parties sharing this view include Islamist parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, a prominent Islamist party, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh, which emerged as the third-largest party in the 2018 general elections. The Yunus-led interim government is unelected; it is a caretaker government. Past caretaker governments typically held elections within three months. This government, despite exceeding the usual term threefold, has yet to hold elections and is attempting to postpone them for another 12 months. Consequently, parties like the BNP, Gono Forum, LDA, and the 12-Party Alliance have accused Yunus of using reforms as a pretext to prolong his rule. The LDA and 12-Party Alliance have also accused the interim government of harbouring fundamentalist Islamist elements opposed to the ideals of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. These accusations are not unfounded. The country’s highest court recently acquitted ATM Azharul Islam, a Jamaat-e-Islami leader sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for genocide against the people of then East Pakistan, including Hindus, in collaboration with the Pakistani army. Leftist student unions, protesting the acquittal under the banner of the Democratic Students’ Alliance, faced attacks at Rajshahi University and in front of the Chattogram Press Club, allegedly by Chhatra Shivir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. During the 1971 war, Jamaat leaders like Azharul collaborated with Pakistan and were responsible for killing East Pakistanis, particularly targeting minority Hindus. The party has never apologised for these war crimes. Consequently, the Election Commission cancelled the party’s registration in 2018 following a court order. However, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on 1 June, allowing the party to contest elections. These developments suggest a rise in fundamentalist Islamist forces, allegedly facilitated by the Yunus administration, as claimed by the LDA and the 12-Party Alliance. Furthermore, the Yunus administration appears to be acting in the interests of the NCP, which, fearing electoral defeat, seeks to delay elections. Yunus is facilitating this by postponing the polls. Under pressure from the NCP, the Yunus administration, initially reluctant, banned Hasina’s Awami League (AL), a prominent centre-left party, revealing its autocratic nature. Despite the AL’s shortcomings during its 15 years in power, this action by an unelected interim government is unjustified, as it pre-empts the voters’ decision. Ironically, this undemocratic move was made by a government installed to promote democracy. The NCP, considered close to Yunus, is now demanding a ban on the Jatiya Party, another prominent party. This tendency towards intolerance raises concerns about the NCP’s democratic credentials. Having banned the AL, the Yunus administration has alleged relentless internal and external (an indirect reference to India) efforts to destabilise the country and create a war-like situation. Yunus appears to be using chaos as a means to prolong his rule by continuously delaying elections. This also explains the interim government’s alleged support for the growth of anti-social fundamentalist Islamist elements to perpetuate societal unrest. Consequently, law and order has deteriorated, and attacks against minority Hindus appear to have become normalised under the new regime. It is regrettable that Yunus, a Nobel laureate, is seemingly encouraging chaos and resisting immediate elections. Significantly, even Bangladesh Army General Waker-uz-Zaman favours elections by December, suggesting a rift between the army and the interim government. These developments indicate how the government’s own anti-democratic tendencies are exacerbating the country’s crisis. Yunus must recognise that blaming India will not resolve Bangladesh’s internal problems. Instead of acting as a puppet of the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, he needs to act democratically and call elections, as desired by many Bangladeshis, to steer the country from chaos towards democracy. His government must also reconsider the undemocratic decision to ban the AL, leaving the latter’s fate to the voters. The author is a political commentator. His X ID is @SagarneelSinha. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.