Thousands rally in Bangladesh capital as major political party demands quick reforms and an election

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Tens of thousands of activists of a leading political party in Bangladesh rallied in the nation’s capital on Friday, calling for a new election and quick reforms.

The country is under an interim government after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled in August.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia organized the rally as it has been pushing the interim government, headed by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, to bring about quick reforms and to hold the next national election.

Hasina and Zia are the main political rivals in a dynastic political framework. Zia is ailing and was unable to lead the rally in person, and her elder son, Tarique Rahman, is the heir apparent and has been living in exile since 2008.

On Friday, BNP activists took to the streets of Dhaka and marched through major thoroughfares before reaching the country’s national parliament building to symbolize that they were eager for their party to form the next government.

The Yunus-led government hasn't declared any timeframe for the next election. The BNP had initially demanded election in three months after Yunus took over three days after Hasina fled the country to India on Aug. 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, ending her 15-year rule.

The BNP leaders had earlier said the Yuns-led government should move forward to hold the election, rather than staying in power for long, but the party wants to give the government a reasonable amount of time to bring some reforms.

On Friday, Rahman said by videoconference from London that the interim government mustn't be allowed to fail under any situation as the government has been facing serious challenges to bring order in the country. Hasina's Awami League party and its allies are also facing challenges to navigate through the new political scenario.

Avoiding any direct reference about next election, Rahman said that the government must take effective steps to meet the expectations of the people. BNP leaders have recently indicated that the party would go ahead with plans for street protests in two to three months if the interim government doesn't roll out a road map for the next election.

Rahman told his cheering supporters to remain vigilant as he said that the accomplices of the former government of Hasina were still active.

“The accomplices of the exiled autocrats are still present at home and abroad, in governance and administration, actively working to unsettle the interim government. This interim government must not be allowed to fail under any circumstances,” said Rahman, also his party’s acting chairman.

“(But) the interim government must take effective steps to meet the expectations of the people. This is what the public desires today,” he said.

Friday's political show came as Hasina is facing charges of crimes against humanity for hundreds of deaths involving the July-August uprising in the country. The government said that it would seek her repatriation from India once a court decision comes.