UNCERTAINTY grips Bangladesh as it goes to the polls tomorrow (Jan. 5) to form its 10th Parliament amid intense political violence and chaos.
The root cause of the crisis is that this election is being convened without the participation of major opposition parties. But, even at the last minute before the elections, it is believed that a solution to the political stalemate be found as the situation has not reached the point of no return.
An understanding between squabbling political parties could come even soon after the elections provided the ruling party gives an impression that the new Parliament will be short-lived and will only bring about necessary amendments to the Constitution for a caretaker administration to oversee the 11th parliamentary elections. It will save the country from plunging into another crisis. The opposition parties want the Jan. 5 polls to be overseen by a neutral caretaker government; a demand rejected by the government. Interestingly, the Awami League and its allies originally proposed the idea of a caretaker setup soon after the toppling of President Hussain Mohammed Ershad’s government in 1990.
The concept of a caretaker government is said to be the brainchild of Shaikh Hasina, which brought her to power twice. However, she did away with it little more than half way into her current regime in 2011 amending the country’s constitution. Thus it has become a constitutional obligation that the general elections be held under the existing government.
Hasina has created the political impasse and she has the solution to get it resolved. The 10th Parliament still exists, as it has not yet been dissolved. Constitutional experts say there is scope to activate the Parliament in order to restore the caretaker system and there is provision that the elections can be delayed conveniently.
With Hasina going ahead with her election schedule, renewed political violence is widely feared. Since the announcement of the election date on Nov. 25, 2013, at least 142 people have lost their lives and there has been enormous damage to properties and industries. The economy is being ruined.
Bangladesh felt the pinch of destructive strikes and blockades for nearly a quarter of the 2013, which claimed a total of 507 lives. Furthermore, the 18-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has vowed to enforce a blockade for an indefinite period unless the current government amends the Constitution and dissolves the Parliament, which expires on Jan. 24 and hand over power to a non-partisan interim government to be run by technocrats for 90 days.
According to Article 123(2) of the Constitution of Bangladesh, elections can take place 90 days after the end of Parliament. And accordingly, the final possible date to hold the general election is April 24, 2014.
So, there is a way to find an amicable solution to the ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh. After the failure of the United Nations’ mediation early December last year, the US and UK diplomats have been trying to break the ice. They are running from pillar to post trying to resolve the issue peacefully.
If all these diplomatic efforts fail and the elections take place as the ruling party wants, the next government is unlikely to complete its tenure. It will not be accepted and recognized either by the international community or by the people of Bangladesh. Many countries including the US and European Union have refused to send poll observers as they wanted a credible election with the participation of all parties.
In an effort to make it acceptable, the ruling party tried to engage Ershad-led Jatiya Party in the election process. He, however, called for the involvement of all opposition parties. His refusal landed him in the combined military hospital, although he claimed he was not sick.
It is hoped a solution will be worked out before it is too late. If nothing happens positively before or soon after the elections through the mutual understanding of all political parties, the entire nation will apparently be on the road to destruction and will have to pay a heavy price.
It would be worthy to recall what Golam Mowla Roni, a parliament member, said about the elections: “It will be a Himalayan blunder if the elections are held as planned.”
