BANGLADESH: OPPOSITION TO BOYCOTT GENERAL ELECTION, DEMANDS A CARETAKER GOVT TO HOLD POLLS

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.

Tue 12 December 2023:

New Delhi: Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters took to the streets on International Human Rights Day on Sunday (December 10), advocating for a non-partisan caretaker government to hold the upcoming general election on January 7.

Led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the BNP is boycotting the election, leaving voters with limited options and potentially paving the way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League to secure a fourth consecutive term, the Hindu reported.

Expressing doubt about the prospect of a fair and free election under Hasina’s leadership, opposition activists pointed to an ongoing crackdown on opposition politicians and critics.

Sunday’s protest march came weeks after a massive opposition rally on October 28 turned violent.

Thousands of party leaders and activists, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were subsequently arrested on what the opposition has called politically motivated charges.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, 10,000 opposition activists have been arrested since October 28, and at least 16 people, including two police officers, lost their lives during the period of violence.

During the Sunday protest in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, banners were displayed with messages such as “Human chain of family members of the victims of murder and enforced disappearances” and “We want the unconditional release of all prisoners.” Party officials warned against participating in what they called a “stage-managed election,” highlighting concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

The government, however, has refuted claims of a crackdown and said that individuals involved in violence are being investigated on specific charges.

Emphasising the constitutional mandate to hold elections on time, Awami League leader Mohammad A. Arafat said, “It has no relation with the election. It’s a matter of their choice to join the polls. But they are resorting to violence in the name of protests, rather than joining the race.”

As Bangladesh gears up for its 12th election since gaining independence in 1971, concerns about the democratic process have been voiced by observers at home and abroad.

Reports in the media suggest that many independent candidates belong to the ruling Awami League, which has encouraged them to contest the election to make it look competitive, the Hindu reported.

Analysts and international organisations, including the US, the UN and the European Union, have expressed concerns about the inclusivity and morality of the election.

Iftekhar Zaman, head of the anti-corruption group Transparency International Bangladesh, said the election may be held on time but it will be “non-inclusive” and “morally void”.

-The Wire

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