ELECTIONS OVER IN BANGLADESH – BUT THE NATION IN THE THROES OF INTERNAL TURMOIL

Amid internal turmoil since a long time, Bangladesh went to polls on Sunday and on monday the results declared. The ruling Awami League emerged victorious with a three-fourth majority. Jatiya Party bagged 33 seats and other smaller entities got a few seats.

If one assumes, rather than the political rivalry, it is the personal animosity between the two ladies, leaders of the two prominent political parties of Bangladesh, ie between incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition leader Begum Khalida Zia, the assumption is partially true.

If somebody argues that it is not political rivalry that contributes to the murky situation in that country since not only Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) led by opposition leader Begum Khalida Zia, the Jama-et-Islami which is a pro-Pakistani outfit and their 18 ally parties and Sheikh Hasina the incumbent Prime Minister, the leader of Awami League, there is substance in that argument too.

Even before announcing the elections Bangladesh witnessed large-scale violence which claimed hundreds of lives, as a consequence of widespread clashes between supporters of those belonging to the govt and the followers of the opposition parties especially Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opponent of the govt and Jama-et-Islami.

Soon after assumption of power after a long gap, Sheikh Hasina assumed power with a determination to bring to justice those responsible for the brutal murder of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the founding father of Bangladesh, the first Prime Minister who led the liberation struggle against Pakistan with the support of India, its neighbouring country and succeeded in liberating the East Pakistan which we all know in the name of Bangladesh, along with all his family members barring Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, both sisters, who were abroad then, through a bloody military coup led by the Army Chief Zia-Ur-Rehman, along with a group of junior military officers. Thousands lost lives as a consequence of the bloody coup and Bangladesh turned into a sea of blood.

General Zia who assumed power as the self-proclaimed Head of Bangladesh, ruled ruthlessly and imprisoned many Awami League leaders and after summary trial shot dead or led to the gallows. He sanctioned immunity to the junior officers who were his participants in the coup. Major Zia too was ousted from power and Bangladesh came under the rule different military leaders. He too met the same fate at the hands of those who plotted against him and threw him out from power by assassinating him.

And after a lull the sun of democracy dawned on Bangladesh and then it was the turn of different political parties, mainly Awami League under Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party under Begum Khalida Zia.

Sheikh Hasina’s determination to bring to justice the accomplices of Mujibur Rehman partly succeeded.  A few Army officers soon after the assassination of Zia-ur-Rehman foresaw the fate of Zia and they flew abroad and sought asylum elsewhere. Those responsible for the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman who were captured in Bangladesh were tried by a special court and after the trial the court found them guilty and sentenced to death. Soon after, unmindful of the largescale protests and violence  unleashed by the opposition, especially the Jama-et-Islami, the culprits were led to the gallows.

Since then Bangladesh knows no peace. And the turmoil continues.

The BNP, Jama-et-Islami and their allies, 18 of them altogether, soon after the announcement of General elections 2014, demanded that a poll-time care-taker govt be formed before the elections to which the govt replied in the negative. Instead, the govt agreed to install a National govt which the opposition too rejected outright. The former announced boycott of the elections and they announced 48 hour blockade across the State resulting in widespread violence claiming hundreds of lives. Followers of both the govt and the opposition clashed at several places and it still continues.

Soon after the massive victory of Awami League and its ally Jatiya Party, opposition grew restless and declared another 48 hour bandh demanding the scrapping of the elections and the results. They are unlikely to succeed in their efforts to scrap the elections as the ruling Awami League led govt has followed necessary constitution process.

Another govt under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina is a near certainty and its massive victory was a foregone conclusion. Since, of the 300 seats to The Jatiya Sanghsad (Parliament) it emerged victorious with 231 seats as the Opposition and its allies boycotted the elections. Unlike in the previous election the turnout was low to exercise franchise, a meager 22 percent. In the previous election the poll turnout was a record 87 percent.

 The billion dollar question that stares into the face of the world at large remains unanswered – when will that nation return to normality?