Democracy is a major basis of Bangladesh's independence, and free, fair and credible elections are an integral element of democracy. It was because the Pakistani rulers overthrew the results of the 1970 election that the people took up an armed struggle in 1971, earning independence at the cost of 3 million lives.
Just within a matter of 10 months of winning independence, Awami League under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, presented the people with a constitution. It took Pakistan 9 years to come up with a constitution. It took Indian two and a half years. In that sense, the authors of Bangladesh's constitution must be applauded.
Among the four pillars in our constitution, democracy comes immediately after nationalism. The other two are socialism and secularism. Over the past 53 years there has been a lot of experimentation with democracy. We started out with multiparty parliamentary democracy. Then one-party rule was ushered in. That didn't last long either. After the change in political scenario in 1975, the military rulers came up with a new definition for democracy. First take over power, then lend that legitimacy through elections.
The struggle against military rule that raged in the country towards the end of the seventies and throughout the eighties, was also aimed at democracy. The movement that was built by the students and youth and the three political alliances culminated in a mass uprising in 1990 and Hussain Mohammad Ershad was forced to step down from power.
The election that was held on 27 February 1991 under the interim government headed by Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, was widely praised at home and abroad. To the surprise of many, BNP came to power through that election. Awami League became the opposition. After that, Awami League, along with Jamaat-e-Islami and the left parties, took up a movement in demand of a caretaker government and the BNP government was obliged to acquiesce.
In the first election held under a constitutional caretaker government on 12 June 1996, Awami League came to power. Then in the 2001 election, BNP came to power again. The election that was to be held on 22 January 2007 could not be held due to BNP's stubborn stance. And before that came up, the 1/11 political scene changer came along and a military-backed caretaker government remained at the helm for almost two years. No matter what was concocted within, this government too stepped down by means of the free and fair election of 29 December 2008.
The clashes and killings that took place in this apparently peaceful election, were between boat and independent candidates. Those who won in the elections, imagine themselves to be 'kings'. The defeated imagine themselves to be 'discarded'.
By means of the four elections held under non-partisan interim or caretaker government, a two-party system emerged in the country. After the caretaker government system was abolished in 2011, that system came to an end too. Then in the subsequent elections of 2014, 2018 and 2024, victory was ensured for those at the helm, but these were not above controversy.
BNP and its allies boycotted the 2014 election. Many political analysts feel that the political trends may have taken a different turn had BNP agreed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposal for elections under an all -party government. BNP took part in the 2018 election, but there are allegations of the votes in this election being cast on the eve of the polls. As for the 7 January 2024 election, Awami League was Awami League's contender -- the boat and independent candidates. In some areas, there were four or five candidates of the same party. In this election, 62 of the candidates fielded by Awami League, could not win. The independent candidates clinched those seats.
The 7 January election is also the cause behind the high tensions that run within ruling Awami League over the forthcoming elections to the upazila parishads. By introducing independent candidates, Awami League may have created a semblance of a participatory election, but this leads to inner conflict which will be assuaged too soon. The clashes and killings that took place in this apparently peaceful election, were between boat and independent candidates. Those who won in the elections, imagine themselves to be 'kings'. The defeated imagine themselves to be 'discarded'. These sentiments have lingered on to the upazila polls.
Prothom Alo reports say that the ruling Awami League has instructed that the offspring, family members and close relations of ministers and members of parliament move away from contesting in the upazila polls. The party's organising secretaries have already begun informing the ministers and MPs from their respective divisions of the government order. It has been warned that if these orders are not heeded, organisational measures, including expulsion, may be taken.
Why did Awami League have to take this difficult decision? They had to take decision because the ministers and MPs exert their influence in local politics. The local administration is bound to follow their orders. Whatever the ministers and MPs say is final. Many even won the election in defiance of the ruling party.
Awami League took this decision for two reasons. One reason was to control the groups that have been formed comprising the MP's followers and their opponents. Secondly, if the sons and daughters of ministers and MPs contest in the election, there is all possibility of the local administration and members of the law enforcement being influenced. They can even influence the officials on election duty.
So, in taking this decision, Awami League is actually following BNP's logic. BNP had argued that while the parliament is intact, if relatives of a minister of the government takes part in the election, he will influence the administration. BNP had said this will increase discrimination. They will enjoy MP privileges. Others will be deprived of such facilities. Awami League at the time had rejected BNP's contentions, Just as BNP had rejected Awami League's suggestions when it was in power. Now, in keeping with BNP's stance, it is Awami League that wants to distance the families and relatives of the MPs and ministers from the upazila election.
In multiparty democracy, elections are held on the basis of policy, ideology and programmes. But Awami League, which has shrugged off the shroud of democracy, has reduced elections to a fight on one individual against the other. In the past, even if the opposition boycotted the national election, it would take part in the local government polls. But in 2915 the government politicised that too. And the opposition simply widened its area of boycott.
Elections are now held in Bangladesh without the opposition. The election is between two or more candidates of the same party. So, the open opportunity in the democratic system for the people to choose in an election is now totally absent.
* Sohrab Hassan is joint editor of Prothom Alo and a poet
* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir