Bangladesh Elections | ‘Fanatics Now Rule B'desh, Yunus A Façade’: Ex-FM Mahmud Warns Of Sham Polls

As Bangladesh heads towards a crucial election amid months of political chaos, protests and violence, former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has launched a blistering attack on the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, accusing it of presiding over what he called an “arranged election”, enabling the rise of fanatic and militant forces, and pushing the country into dangerous proximity with Pakistan-backed radical elements. In an exclusive interview to NDTV’s Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul, Mahmud, a senior leader of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, said that the very credibility of the February 12 election is in doubt — not only because of the prevailing instability, but because the country’s most popular political force has been barred from participating. “Even people who are campaigning today are not sure whether the election will actually be held,” Mahmud said. “And even if it is held, this is going to be an arranged election. The party that led Bangladesh’s independence and has governed the country multiple times — the Awami League — has been barred. Our allies are barred. More than 60 per cent of the voters will not be able to make a real choice