Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh, has said it is time for the interim government of Bangladesh to exit, urging it to prepare an “exit plan”. “It must now be made clear how this government will leave. It is also uncertain whether the next government will legitimise all the decisions taken by this one,” he said at a seminar organised by Democracy Dias Bangladesh at a hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Mr. Bhattacharya also said the government, despite its prolonged stay in office, has failed to meet public expectations. “The longer it clings to power, the deeper the crisis will grow”, writes the Daily Sun, a leading daily in Bangladesh. The current interim government has already been given more time than necessary, yet it has failed to deliver. Its reform initiatives have been largely viewed as attempts to buy time.

Speakers said the prolonged rule of the interim government has left the country’s economy, law and order, and overall governance increasingly vulnerable. They stressed the need for a swift election to resolve the ongoing political crisis, reports the Daily Sun. Speaking at the event, journalist and political analyst Masud Kamal said the government is trying to delay the next national election in the name of reform. “Although the proportional representation (PR) system is good, it is not timely in the present context,” he said.

Democracy Dias Bangladesh also presented a research report at the seminar, highlighting the duration, achievements, and failures of the current interim government. According to the report, 16 out of 26 countries surveyed held elections within a short span under interim arrangements. As a result, those countries were able to restore political stability and implement reforms quickly, reports the daily.

The study also examined the practicality of introducing a PR electoral system in Bangladesh. Speakers observed that the general public remains largely unfamiliar with the system. “Those advocating for PR are doing so in the interest of their respective parties, not the country,” one of them said. Many participants opined that the call for a PR system is primarily aimed at prolonging the current administration’s tenure. Discussants noted that political parties are divided over three key issues – elections, reforms, and justice. While Jamaat-e-Islami and the Nationalist Consensus Party (NCP) are pushing for a PR system, the BNP remains firm in its support for the traditional direct voting method.