What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI : Voting for the General Election in Bangladesh commenced on Sunday, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking a fourth consecutive term and a fifth overall for her Awami League-led alliance.
Against a backdrop of pre-election violence and heightened tensions, the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), along with other like-minded parties, declared a boycott of the polls. The BNP called for a two-day nationwide strike starting on Saturday.
#BangladeshElections : The 12th national polls are underway today amid a boycott by some parties and concerns about potential #violence. A total of 28 political parties are participating in the election, with 1971 candidates competing for 299 out of the total 300 constituencies. pic.twitter.com/3N8owldWnt
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) January 7, 2024
The opposition is boycotting the poll and urging the public to abstain from voting, citing concerns about the credibility of the elections. They allege that the ruling Awami League has fielded “dummy” candidates as independents to create a façade of legitimacy, a claim vehemently denied by the ruling party.
Tensions escalated in Bangladesh since October when a large anti-government rally demanding Hasina’s resignation and the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the election turned violent. The government argued that there was no constitutional provision for a caretaker government.
The 27 political parties participating in the elections include the opposition Jatiya Party (JAPA), while the rest are members of the ruling Awami League-led coalition, often referred to as “satellite parties” by experts.
On the eve of the election, violence erupted as a passenger train was set on fire, resulting in four casualties. Several incidents of arson attacks on buildings were reported across the country, according to Dhaka Tribune.
Bangladesh’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has cautioned that the elections will be annulled if any irregularities in the polling process are identified. During a Saturday evening address to the nation, he emphasised that vote rigging, ballot snatching, money transactions, and potential use of muscle power in favour of any candidate will be strongly resisted.
Ahead of the elections, Hasina’s government arrested tens of thousands of rival politicians and supporters. Government officials argue that the arrests were made not based on political affiliations but rather specific criminal charges such as arson, as reported by the Associated Press.
More than 100 foreign observers, including three from India, are set to monitor the 12th General Election, which is being conducted under tight security.
Hasina, who has been in power since 2009 and won the last election in December 2018 amid allegations of violence and poll rigging, has overseen one of the world’s fastest-growing economies in South Asia over the past 15 years.
The country faced economic challenges in 2022, marked by violent protests following a surge in the cost of living due to the global economic slowdown. This compelled Hasina’s government to seek urgent support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as foreign reserves depleted amid an energy crisis and high inflation triggering a balance of payments crisis.
