General elections will be held in Bangladesh Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) on Jan 7. The opposition said these are not democratic elections. All the opposition parties boycotted the election. The ballot papers will only have the names of the candidates of the ruling Awami League and its allies. There are also some independent candidates. The 14 parties’ alliance led by ruling Awami League (AL) is likely to retain power again. Sheikh Hasina, the current Prime Minister and longest-serving leader in Bangladesh's history is all set to continue another term.
Why Opposition Boycotts Polls?
Hasina is accused of suppressing the opposition in an undemocratic manner. There is discontent among the people after Hasina stopped the opposition from participating in the general elections. The opposition has been demanding that Hasina step down and form a neutral interim government. They wanted the election to be held under the supervision of that interim government in a free and fair atmosphere, but the ruling Awami League government did not care. In protest of Sheikh Hasina’s dictatorship rule, Begum Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and its allies and other opposition parties stayed away from the polls.
Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009. Around two dozen leaders of the opposition Bangladesh National Party have been charged in various corruption cases and sent to jail. Former Prime Minister and Bangladesh National Party Chief Khaleda Zia has also been detained on corruption charges.
How Sheikh Hasina Changed Bangladesh?
Bangladesh witnessed unprecedented economic growth in the last decade. It is the result of present government's commitment to large-scale infrastructure and energy projects in the country. This is another argument is that there have been good results under Hasina's rule. The country's economy has progressed and per capita income has increased significantly. According to the World Bank, the Country has lifted 2.5 crore people out of poverty in the last 20 years. And it is emerging as a competitor to China in garment exports. On the other hand, the Corona crisis has hit the country hard. As the cost of living increases, inflation is at 9.5 per cent. Foreign exchange reserves are also decreasing.
Democratic Freedom to Autocratic Leadership
Critics say Sheikh Hasina government has used harsh tools to muzzle dissent, shrink press freedoms and curtail civil society. The opposition says the long-standing Prime Minister has become a dictator. But she once had a history of fighting for democratic rights in Bangladesh.
Hasina, 76, is the daughter of Bangladesh's founding Prime Minister and ‘Jatipita’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Hasina, who succeeded her father as the country's prime minister, is known for fighting for people's rights in the past. In the 1980s, she fought against military ruler General Hussain Muhammad Arshad. She had once worked with Khaleda Zia to fight against military rulers.
Hasina became Prime Minister for the first time in 1996. After completing of first term, her party lost in the 2001 elections. Hasina was convicted of a corruption case in 2006. She was released from prison in 2008. Hasina has been prime minister for nearly two decades. The Awami League led by her is coming to power again. Khaleda Zia's BNP claims Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is using oppressive tactics to stay in power.
