The new year began on a great note for the ruling party of Bangladesh, Awami League, as it won a decisive victory with an overwhelming majority (96% of seats) in the recent elections. This one-off feat in elections has been accompanied by a lot of skepticism, scrutiny, and censure by the national and international media about the authenticity of these elections. The prevalence of violence during the Bangladeshi elections is an open-secret, with a few videos going viral over YouTube; but what has really brought media attention, is an alleged case of gang-rape which is said to be politically motivated.
Violence, A Rule During Elections
This is not the first time when the Awami League has come under fire for allegedly rigging elections. The last elections, held in 2014, were also accompanied by violence and repression. The increasing dictatorial and repressive nature of Sheikh Hasina and Awami League was conveniently being ignored by the western media and the world. Despite several incidents last year, including the violent response of the state authorities on students’ protest, attack on civil rights activists (Shahidul Alam), the infamous ‘war on drugs’ and the many unexplained disappearances; the Hasina government had supposedly hidden it all under the tag of ‘development’. The violence-ridden elections and allegations of the rigged ballot boxes may have escaped the media, but the recent protests regarding the gang-rape have invoked international and national condemnation.
Can A Voting Choice Result In An Alleged Gang-Rape?
On December 31, a group of 10-12 Awami League activists allegedly barged into a house in the southern district of Naokhali, tied up the woman’s husband and her four children, and raped the 35-year old woman in the middle of the night. According to sources, the assailants warned her at the polling station not to vote for the opposition candidate (Bangladesh Nationalist Party).
The Awami League has suspended ‘Ruhul Amin’ for his alleged involvement in the gang-rape of the woman. The police notified that they have arrested 10 men (members of Awami League) in connection with the gang-rape while the victim and her husband still fear for their lives. The superintendent of Police verified that the woman was raped but he denied any link between the rape and the elections. The main opposition coalition has rejected these elections as farcical even as Sheikh Hasina took oath as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a third term. Consequently, the UN called for an independent and impartial investigation into the 30 December elections.
The Future Of Democracy In Bangladesh
Political experts and citizens in Dhaka believe that Bangladeshi politics has ceased to be a democratic setup for a decade. The overwhelming control of the Awami League in all spheres of life in Bangladesh has ensured that there is not sufficient space to show dissent. Many are of the opinion that the massive victory of the Awami League validates that the election results have been fabricated or manufactured by rigging of election. All this and more raises the eyebrows of political experts about the future of Bangladeshi politics.
Sheikh Hasina has been elected for a third term in a row for Bangladesh, which is being criticized by the proponents of democracy throughout the world. Sheikh Hasina’s party is riding on a wave of development oriented policies, but does development mean lack of democracy? The western media and the human rights organizations considered Sheikh Hasina as a humanitarian after she gave refuge to the Rohingya Muslims without scrutinizing her actions within the state of Bangladesh.
Do higher GDP numbers and decreased poverty level justify authoritarianism? It is difficult for the people of Bangladesh to envision a free and developed state with Awami League ruling the country. The recent election results further ratify these fears of the citizens of Bangladesh.