Bangladesh Elections: Why India’s Call For ‘Free And Fair’ Polls Faces A Tough Reality | EXPLAINED | India News

Barely two months away from Bangladesh’s general elections, India has stressed the importance of conducting reliable and inclusive polls as questions grow about whether such a practice is possible under current conditions.

“We are in favor of free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections to be held in a peaceful atmosphere in Bangladesh,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly briefing in Delhi on Friday.

However, Bangladesh’s recent electoral history shows that truly free and fair elections have not been possible for more than a decade. The last surveys widely considered reliable were conducted in 2008.

In this election, Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) received 32.5 percent of the votes, while its ally Jamaat-e-Islami received 4.28 percent of the votes. Other parties in the BNP-led bloc account for about 40 percent of the electorate in total.

Since then, participation has gradually decreased. The 2014 elections were boycotted by the BNP after Sheikh Hasina’s government refused to hold elections under a neutral interim administration; This system was followed since 1996 to ensure justice.

In 2018, the BNP returned to the electoral process but Khaleda Zia could not participate in the race as she was jailed in corruption cases shortly before the vote. The 2024 elections followed a similar trend; Khaleda Zia was absent again, paving the way for Sheikh Hasina to retain power despite low voter turnout. About 40 percent of eligible voters were effectively excluded from the process.

The political landscape has changed sharply since then. Sheikh Hasina was ousted last year and currently lives in exile; He also faces the possibility of being sentenced to death over allegations linked to the violent suppression of a student uprising in July.

At the same time, Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman also returned to Bangladesh after 17 years abroad. Multiple cases filed against both him and his mother have been dropped in the last 18 months.

In an interview with the Financial Times before his return, Tarique Rahman dodged questions about the Awami League’s non-participation in the upcoming elections. He said those convicted in corruption cases were barred from participating in elections.

The Awami League under interim leader Muhammad Younis was barred from participating in the elections. Opinion polls now show the BNP is well placed to emerge as the largest party.

Both Younis and Rahman described the Awami League as a “fascist” organisation, reflecting the long-standing rivalry between the BNP leadership and Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman also said he was open to working with the National Citizen Party (NCP), a student-led group that has played a central role in the protests against Hasina’s government. However, the NCP itself seems uncertain about the electoral process.

“The election culture in Bangladesh is really unpleasant for us,” NCP founder Nahid Islam told the Financial Times.

Concerns were also voiced by other political actors. Jatiya Party (Ershad) chief GM Quader recently wrote that the current administration “is not impartial and does not intend to hold free, fair and impartial elections”, adding that its ability to do so is also questionable.

According to Quader, the only solution is the return of a neutral and caretaker government that includes all political parties.

Adding to this uneasiness, the Electoral Commission requested additional police protection for its senior officials and offices across the country. The commission’s recent exclusion of the Awami League, Jatiya Party and their allies from the all-party dialogue has further raised doubts about inclusivity.

As Bangladesh moves towards another crucial vote, India’s call for free and fair elections contrasts with growing concerns on the ground about whether these conditions can actually be met.