Three Trends in Bangladesh Politics

After almost 20 months of extra-democratic rule under a military backed interim government, Bangladesh eventually got the dateline of parliamentary election on December 18, 2008. This dateline has been announced in the recent broadcast speech of Chief Advisor (CA) of the interim government, but Election Commission (EC) is yet to declare the formal schedule for the poll. In his speech, CA also mentioned the dateline of Upazila (sub-district) election that will be held in two phases on 24th and 28th December of this year. The dateline of parliament election is accepted by the political parties including Bangladesh Awami League (AL) but major parties are yet in the mood of rejection about Upazila poll, which has 482 unities. Though secretary general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said that his party is a party of election, but BNP is putting extra demands in the court of negotiation to make the process difficult so far. Meanwhile, the CA reaffirmed that all elections would be taken place in due date to fulfill the commitment given by his government when it took state power on January 11, 2007 in a situation of political clash and conflict. It should be mentioned that parliamentary election was scheduled for January 22, 2007 that was boycotted by Awami League led 14-party alliance and almost all parties of the country. In present days, there are three major political trends are prevailing in Bangladesh. One is agreed to participate in all elections, local or national, under the State of Emergency. Second trend is ready to face the challenges of elections but demanding to hold parliamentary poll first and total withdrawal of emergency before holding elections. The third trend is demanding the cancellation of all ordinances proclaimed by the interim government. After fulfilling their demands the will consider whether they will join in the election or not. First trend belongs to former military autocrat HM Ershad led Jatio Party (JP) and few other marginal parties including parties emerged after 11 January of 2007. AL led 14-party alliance belongs to the second trend who wants to see the Bangladesh ruled by a political government as soon as possible and finally intending to go for Upazila system as they bagged all 4 City Corporation and 8 out of 9 Municipality Mayoral post in local body poll held in very recent past. This alliance is concentrating their demand on total withdrawal of emergency before holding any election that is local or parliament. Third trend belongs to BNP led 4-party alliance, which was in state power just before the formation of interim government in 2006. BNP assumed that in today’s scenario, boycotting election is an absurd political thinking and facing election challenges are also a very difficult task for the party. So, boycotting election is the only way to BNP for saving the image of a large political party that needs no strength or strategy. But other partners of the BNP led alliance are pressing on the alliance leader to join in parliament election and Jamat, the major partner of 4-party alliance is taking party-line preparation for parliament election. It should be mentioned that before the release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from imprisonment, Jamat was in the process of Dialogue with EC and the Government and was committed to cooperate EC and military backed interim government in the implementation process of EC road map; after release of Khaleda Zia, Jamat step back for a while in the political line and started supporting BNP. Anyway, the alliance meeting schedule for September 28, 2008 could be reached on a decision on election issue that could be positive, the political observers predicted. Though there are some differences among the partners on the issue of enlarging the size of alliance, 14-party is on a political stand to join in parliament election. Only strong demand of this alliance is total withdrawal of emergency before the poll. Military backed interim government is convinced that before election maximum provisions of Emergency Ordinance should be cancelled or put in inactive mood to make the election credible an acceptable. Political observers predicted that government and AL led 14-party alliance would be able to reach on an agreement in this regard. As major political parties are to join in the parliament election and CA stated again in the UN general assembly speech that all coming election will be free, fair and credible, EC might be able to meet the December 18 dateline for Parliament Poll, the political observers mentioned. #