Bangladesh is set to hold its next parliamentary election on February 12, an especially important moment in the country’s tumultuous political history. This election is the first national vote since last year’s unprecedented student-led uprising. That grassroots movement was able to unseat former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is an influential player in Bangladesh’s political undercurrents. Secondly, he heads the caretaker government during this transitional phase.
The next federal election will play out at more than 42,000 unique polling stations. Almost 128 million eligible voters are expected to vote for 300 constituency seats in Parliament. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party is conspicuously absent from the ballot. This exclusion further undermines the integrity and inclusiveness of our electoral process. This election will have unprecedented implications on the future of Bangladesh. On such slender decisiveness will it rest whether the Charter turns out to be the basis for remaking state institutions.
Political Context and Significance
A huge swath of voters are fired up to take back their democracy in this off-year election. They want to resuscitate the once-thriving jewel-in-the-crown garment-export industry — the country’s biggest single export earner — devastated by the pandemic. There has never been a more urgent time to recalibrate relations with India. Since Sheikh Hasina crossed over to India in the wake of this political tumult, these relations have deteriorated significantly.
Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus put it well when he described this election as Bangladesh’s turning point. He stated,
“Bangladesh’s democratic journey has crossed an important milestone, strengthening the new path the nation has taken after the historic mass uprising.”
His comments underscore all that is currently at stake in the upcoming electoral cycle on the road to restoring long-time democratic norms back into our nation.
Caretaker Government and Ongoing Challenges
The caretaker government headed by Yunus is again confronted with mass protests. These protests arise from 9-month-long delays in implementing the promised political and institutional reforms following Sheikh Hasina’s removal from power. As many citizens have made clear in their frustration about these unnecessary delays, they want to be listened to and want these reforms to move forward more quickly.
Alongside the parliamentary election, a national referendum on political reforms will be held on the same day, including amendments to ban same-sex marriage. Together, this two-fold system creates a more engaged voter base. It further empowers them to vote for who they want and ultimately set the future political direction of Bangladesh.
Presidential Transition
In another positive step, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced his intention to step down as soon as voting is completed. This decision introduces yet another complication to the transitional phase that Bangladesh is currently traversing. In a national television address, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin confirmed the election date. He underscored the federal government’s responsibility to continue pressing forward in the face of continuing adversity.
