Bangladesh is drifting toward one of the most consequential elections in its history, yet the public conversation is increasingly hijacked by warnings, allegations, and covert maneuvers that cloud the political landscape. The latest spark came from Jamaat-e-Islami emir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, who cautioned that holding a national referendum on the same day as the election could trigger what he termed “election genocide.” His phrasing—alarming, provocative, and politically charged—reflects more than partisan grievances. It lays bare the fear that a deeply polarized political climate, once again, may turn violent if mishandled.

Dr. Rahman’s criticism rests on two core claims. First, that Bangladesh lacks a level playing field for parties to contest freely. Second, that combining two national-scale events on the same day will overwhelm institutions and inflame tensions in an already fragile environment. Jamaat, a party long criticized for its wartime legacy and periodically marginalized from electoral processes, frames this warning as a plea for electoral sanity. Yet rhetoric of “genocide,” even metaphorically, demands scrutiny—especially when coming from a party whose descriptions of political risk tend to carry a deeper strategic narrative.

Still, the concern about instability cannot be dismissed outright. Elections in Bangladesh have historically been high-stakes affairs where administrative missteps can escalate quickly. Dr. Rahman’s emphasis on proportional representation and fairer electoral mechanisms also points to long-standing structural frustrations shared by many smaller parties. What makes his warning contentious is not the fear itself, but the language used to convey it.

Other political parties did not echo the alarm. The BNP, the country’s largest opposition force, reacted........

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