Barring Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, all political parties in Bangladesh are, more or less, gearing up for the February 12 general election, amid war of words and deadly political violence. With just a month to go, campaigning is at its peak. But even as parties are focused on the parliamentary race, the chief of Bangladesh's interim regime, Muhammad Yunus, appears to be preparing for a different vote, even issuing a warning to the people. Yunus's campaign is for a referendum on the July Charter, which he has linked to "the birth of a new Bangladesh".
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On February 12, Bangladeshis will not only choose their next democratic government, they will also vote on whether to endorse or reject the July Charter through a nationwide referendum. And even though frontrunner parties such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens Party (NCP) had expressed reservations over parts of the Charter, Yunus seems determined to push it through regardless.
While the ballot for the national election will have a list of candidates, the referendum will have just two choices — Yes and No.
Yunus wants political parties, too, to campaign for a 'yes' vote. "I don't think any party will seek a 'no' vote," Yunus said on Wednesday, expressing confidence that political outfits would campaign for a 'yes' in the referendum.
Not just Yunus, his special assistant, Ali Riaz, during a meeting with agriculture ministry officials, emphasised the July Charter's importance.
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