Bangladesh: ‘The Government’s Goal Is To … Hold A One-Sided Election’

As Bangladesh heads to elections in January, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party seeking a fourth consecutive term in office, authorities have overseen a ruthless crackdown on the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP).

There is a critical shortage of rooms in the prisons. In the last two weeks alone, almost 10,000 opposition leaders, activists and supporters have been arrested after demonstrations were staged against the ruling government. Scores of more people have already been inside these cells for months.

Police’s Response To BNP Rally Raises Alarm

On the day of a BNP rally in Dhaka on October 28 to demand Hasina’s resignation, activists from Awami League, accompanied by police, were seen attacking the rallies. At least three people died in the violence, including a BNP activist, a journalist and a police officer.

“The response of the police … seemed to be planned well ahead of the rally,” said Professor Ali Riaz from Illinois State University. “Internet services were blocked, not only to disrupt communication among the activists but also to prevent live transmission of the police actions.”

Among the thousands detained was Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, one of the BNP’s most senior leaders. Speaking to the Guardian hours before his arrest on October 29, he said: “…the government’s goal is to put all of our leaders behind bars and hold a one-sided election.”

Pressuring Hasina Into Holding Fair Elections

Since Hasina was first elected in 2008, she has been credited for overseeing an economic revival in Bangladesh. But her terms in office have also been defined by democratic backsliding and increasingly authoritarian measures against political opposition.

The international community has been trying to intervene and pressure Hasina into holding free and fair elections. The previous election in 2018 was marred with allegations of opposition harassment and vote-rigging. Most now assume similar scenes will unfold in January.