Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said that the upcoming referendum and parliamentary election will mark a critical juncture for the country’s democratic future, stressing that the Bangladesh Armed Forces have a crucial role to play and ensure a fair and festive electoral environment.
He made the remark during a meeting with senior armed forces officers at Army Headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment, expressing confidence that members of the armed forces would once again carry out their duties with professionalism and neutrality, according to a statement from the CA’s Press Wing.
Yunus paid tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War and the July Uprising, recalling with gratitude the armed forces’ role in safeguarding peace and stability across the country during those tumultuous weeks, adding that their contribution towards maintaining law and order in the post-fascist period would be remembered throughout history.
The chief adviser said that a nation long deprived of voting rights had expressed its aspiration to take responsibility for the country through the uprising, and that voting in the election would be the ultimate expression of that aspiration.
“Through the referendum, people will express their views on shaping the future state structure, and through the parliamentary election, they will choose suitable public representatives to implement those views,” he said, adding that the importance of the upcoming election was greater than the ones that precede it.
Organisers must remember that a large segment of young voters will be voting for the first time, Yunus added, while many older citizens were deprived of their voting rights for years, making the creation of a fear-free and festive voting environment a shared responsibility.
The chief adviser said the armed forces are a key partner in fulfilling this responsibility, expressing confidence that a professional and people-oriented military would play a decisive role in delivering a free and fair election.
He said a free and fair election is the cornerstone of a democratic state, stressing that the administration and the Election Commission must receive maximum support to ensure every citizen can exercise their voting rights without fear or influence.
Issuing clear instructions to senior military leadership, Yunus said all decisions at the field level must be lawful, urging maximum caution so that even minor lapses do not undermine public confidence.
He added that the participation of young voters and citizens long deprived of voting rights gives the election special significance, making it a historic responsibility for the state to ensure a fear-free voting environment.
Calling for collective efforts to advance towards a peaceful Bangladesh, Yunus said the capabilities of the armed forces had been neglected during the long fascist period.
“We have initiated major changes within a very short time,” he said, adding that strengthening and modernising the armed forces to counter any aggression has been a key priority of the interim government.
Yunus said initiatives are under way to establish domestically managed factories to manufacture military weapons and equipment, aimed at increasing the self-reliance and capacity of the armed forces.
Defence cooperation memorandums have already been signed with the Netherlands and Malaysia, he said, while similar agreements with Italy, Japan, Thailand and several other countries are in the works, noting that these would significantly enhance operational efficiency once finalised.
The chief adviser expressed hope that future elected governments would carry the torch forward and continue these initiatives.
Upon his arrival at the Helmet Auditorium at Army Headquarters, Yunus was received by Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hasan, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, and Armed Forces Division Principal Staff Officer Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan.
Senior officers from the army, navy and air force, along with invited guests, were present at the meeting.
