Urges people to pour into polling stations to elect new govt

Outgoing interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus urges people to courageously turn up and vote in polling stations and requests political parties to accept results with good grace in national interest.

He made the call Tuesday for parties and election candidates to put the nation's broader interest above personal or partisan considerations, whatever the outcome of the vote, as the country prepares for what he describes as a defining democratic moment.

In a televised address to the nation ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and a national referendum scheduled for tomorrow (February 12), Yunus urged restraint, unity and respect for democratic norms, noting that flawed or violent elections ultimately harm the country as a whole.

"Victory is part of democracy, but so is defeat," he said. "Whatever the result, rise above narrow interests and commit yourselves to building a new, just and inclusive Bangladesh."

The chief adviser emphasised the scale and significance of the vote, noting that 51 political parties and more than 2,000 candidates, including independents, are contesting - the highest participation in Bangladesh's electoral history. Previous national elections, he said, had rarely seen such broad engagement.

"This is not just another routine election. It is the first national election after a mass uprising. The anger, discrimination, deprivation and injustice that accumulated over a long period have found expression through the constitution. What was demanded on the streets will now be voiced through the ballot," he reminds.

He framed the vote and referendum as a decisive moment for the country's future direction.

"We are not only electing representatives," he said. "We are deciding which path Bangladesh will take - toward a discrimination-free, just and accountable state or back to an old cycle of unrestrained, power-centred politics. The referendum will answer that question."

Yunus sounds a note of warning while urging political parties to prevent violence, intimidation and misinformation.

From party leadership down to grassroots activists, he said, all must be instructed clearly to avoid disorder, coercion, vote manipulation or provocative acts.

"The state will not tolerate such behaviour in any form," he alerts, adding that the spread of rumours, particularly on social media, posed a serious threat to a peaceful electoral environment.

"Voting is not a favour bestowed by anyone," he said. "It is a fundamental constitutional right. Ensuring a free, fair and participatory election is not only the government's responsibility - it is the duty of every citizen."

Drawing on Bangladesh's political history, Yunus warns that flawed or violent elections ultimately harm everyone. "Those who ignored people's will and tried to cling to power through force and irregularities have always faced accountability in the court of the people."

He also addressed what he describes as a deliberate campaign of disinformation aimed at undermining public confidence in the electoral process. Calling on citizens to remain vigilant, he urged voters to verify information before sharing it and to rely on official channels, including the government's election hotline.

"The greatest weapon against rumours is awareness and truth," he said, adding that attempts to sow doubt over recent months had "failed completely".

A significant portion of the address was directed at young and women voters, many of whom, Yunus said, had been effectively denied meaningful voting opportunities for nearly 17 years despite formally having the right to vote.

"You grew up in a reality where there was the appearance of voting, but not voting itself. Ballots existed, but voters did not."

He describes the upcoming election as a new beginning for those generations, calling on them to overcome fear and turn out in large numbers.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com