We are moving towards a national election after a long time. There is endless interest and enthusiasm among the general public regarding this matter, and there are also various speculations and discussions on what the nature of the post-election government will be. The idea of a national government is one such topic.

It is to be noted here that the Jamaat-e-Islami is talking about forming a national government after the election. Meanwhile, the BNP is discussing forming a government with their allies, with whom they are contesting the election through seat arrangements. The resolution of these issues, I believe, will be determined after the election. However, it is crucial to have an in-depth discussion on how logical the concept of a national government is in the context of Bangladesh. Engaging in this conversation without thoroughly analysing this concept could be harmful to our democracy.

A national government is a consensus-based government in which opposition parties generally become part of the government. As a result, there is no opposition, and everyone pledges to work towards a political goal. Although the idea of a national government sounds appealing from this standpoint, its implementation after the election could be contradictory to the democratic system.