Months after toppling Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is looking forward to fresh elections, which will give birth to a new government that could succeed the interim administration led by Muhammed Yunus.

The interim leader and Nobel laureate pledged to carry out “vital reforms” and then hold a free, fair and inclusive vote in the South Asian country.

But despite promises of inclusiveness, many Bangladeshis are deeply angry with Hasina’s Awami League (AL) and oppose the prospect of her simply returning to the country’s politics like any other major party.

Hasina’s opponents accuse the ousted leader of being responsible for deadly violence that claimed hundreds of lives earlier this year.

Some members of the interim cabinet appear to share this sentiment. The Yunus-led government is still engaged in dialogue with major parties to ensure fair elections, but has said it will exclude groups it describes as “fascist” or allied with such factions.

In October, the interim government’s chief advisor’s office announced that authorities would prevent the AL and similar parties from engaging in political activities. Later, the Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor said that they would put obstacles in front of Hasina’s party, and in late October, the Yunus government banned the AL’s youth wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), and called it a “terrorist organization.”

Interim leaders under pressure from all sides

Yunus’ government is based on a broad but fragile alliance of various political parties, minority groups and student protesters who have borne the brunt of the political violence. While the election date is yet to be determined, they cannot afford to alienate any part of their base, especially the masses who ousted the Hasina government.

The scale of anti-AL anger was once again highlighted when the office of their coalition partner, the Jatiya Party, was burned down in late October. And this weekend, activists from the BNP party – the AL’s main rival – joined supporters of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party and student protesters to violently prevent an AL rally in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, BNP general secretary Mirza Fakhrul criticized the signals given by the caretaker government regarding the banning of Hasina’s party.

“Why exclude the Awami League from the elections if we are truly aiming for democracy?” he asked.

Does Yunus speak for the people?

Political scientist Sabbir Ahmed told DW that the caretaker government is interpreting terms such as “level playing field for fair elections” in a way that serves its own interests.

“This government, which took power without a popular mandate, does not represent the will of the people,” he told DW, emphasizing that the July-August uprising was largely centered on urban areas.

“Regardless of what the caretaker government claims, it cannot establish a democratic environment for fair electoral competition if it excludes the Awami League,” he added.

AL eager to move forward

Unsurprisingly, Hasina’s allies also object to statements hinting at their ban. Former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told DW that AL was keen to cooperate with other political parties to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy, adding that Bangladesh must eliminate policies of hatred, denial and revenge.

He also accused the caretaker government of delaying the elections without adequate justification, apparently in a bid to retaliate against the AL.

“Excluding the Awami League – which is supported by almost half of the population – from the election would not promote an inclusive process,” he added. “Such an election would likely be met with rejection from both the population and the international community.”

Germany wants an investigation, then reconciliation

At the same time, signals from outside Bangladesh also seem to indicate a desire for internal rapprochement. Last week, German Ambassador Achim Tröster said The star of the dayan English-language Bangladeshi newspaper, that reconciliation would be necessary for a peaceful future.

“What is needed is to change our minds and chase away the shadows of a bloody and vengeful past,” he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that reconciliation would not be possible without investigating and acknowledging the truth about the deadly unrest.

“To achieve reconciliation, we need to hear the word of apology and apology for the crimes and mistakes that were committed. Maybe I’m wrong, but so far I don’t unfortunately haven’t heard it here,” added the German diplomat.

Center-right BJP leader Andaleeve Rahman also told DW that AL should apologize to the public.

“Hasina’s party faces a leadership crisis and can only progress in politics if it acknowledges responsibility and expresses remorse for the deaths that occurred during the July-August revolution,” he said .

Commenting on the recent arson attack on the Jatiya Party politburo, he called it unacceptable, but said Hasina’s allies deserved the public backlash they are currently facing as they too have betrayed the people.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru