The Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) has strongly criticized the speech delivered by the Chief Adviser and demanded election by December this year. They also termed the speech disconnected from public sentiment and reflective of an ambition to prolong power.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, key leaders from the alliance expressed deep concern over several issues raised in the speech, including the proposed timing of the national elections in April 2026 instead of December 2025, plans for a corridor through Rakhine and leasing of the Chittagong port terminal to foreign entities.
The statement was signed by LDA Coordination Council leaders including Ruhin Hossain Prince, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB); CPB President Md. Shah Alam; Bazlur Rashid Firoz, General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BASAD); Iqbal Kabir Zahid of the Revolutionary Communist League; Masud Rana of BASAD (Marxist); Mosharrafa Mishu of the Democratic Revolutionary Party; and Abdul Ali, Executive President of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh.
They stated that the speech failed to address critical issues faced by working-class people, such as unpaid wages and bonuses before Eid, despite previous promises by the government and employers. The leaders also noted that official data shows rising unemployment and extreme poverty, yet none of these urgent matters were reflected in the Chief Advisor’s remarks.
The left alliance also questioned the rationale behind holding elections in April 2026 instead of by December 2025. They argued that most political parties and citizens want the transfer of power to an elected government within this year. Holding elections during Ramadan, academic exams, the rice harvest, and the monsoon is neither practical nor acceptable, they said.
“The delay in elections is clearly designed to serve the interests of a particular party or group and risks pushing the country deeper into crisis under imperialist and hegemonic influence,” the statement read.
They further asserted that it is still possible to conduct necessary electoral reforms and transfer power to an elected government by the end of 2025. The leaders also called for visible progress in the investigation and justice process for the mass killings of July–August 2024.
On the proposed Rakhine corridor, the alliance said the Chief Adviser’s message made it clear that the government is determined to proceed with the plan, even in the face of public opposition. “The declaration to suppress dissenters opposing the foreign lease of the New Mooring Container Terminal is a direct incitement to mob violence,” the leaders warned, adding that such provocative statements are unacceptable from someone in a position of responsibility.
They emphasized that the Chittagong port is a profitable national asset, and leasing it to foreign interests poses a serious threat to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and security. The left-wing parties and patriotic forces have already announced a Dhaka–Chittagong road march on June 27 and 28 to resist this decision, vowing to continue their movement despite threats or intimidation.
Concluding their statement, the alliance denounced the Chief Adviser’s Eid message as disrespectful to the people and a deliberate attempt to extend his grip on power. They called on all left-leaning, democratic, and progressive political forces, organizations, and individuals to unite and demand elections before December and to defend the country’s sovereignty, security, and public interest.
They further stated that by announcing elections in April while ignoring the views of most political parties and citizens, Dr. Yunus has forfeited his neutrality.