The Bangladesh election on February 12th is just days away, and each time the sun rises without a major setback is a victory for the nation in its journey back to a democratic culture. Despite exaggerations about conflict that are often helpfully debunked, progress is tangible and often invisible but no less real. The Interim Government has taken a plethora of steps to ensure a free, fair, and credible election, including 1) installing closed-circuit TVs in thousands of polling places to record (and help prevent) any irregularities and 2) inviting and hosting hundreds of election observers (most recently from Japan) and journalists, including many from abroad.
In order to underscore the importance of turning the page on a dark era in Bangladesh’s history, diplomats toured a new museum set up to document the atrocities of the Awami League regime. Reports are that the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum has been curated to the highest international standards and stands as a stark reminder of the past to which the nation does not want to return.
In the meantime, the third in a series of polls was released byInnovision. It is available in English and Bengali. It shows that while many Bangladeshi elites continue to minimize the accomplishments of the Interim Government and project a certain pessimism, the vast majority of Bangladeshis feel differently. Among the results:
- 93.3% of those polled intend to vote
- 78.5% of those who said in the previous poll that they did not intend to vote, now intend to vote
- 60% intend to vote for the referendum, and 22% are unaware of it (so may end up voting for it as well)
- 72.3% say they believe the Interim Government will ensure a free and fair election (an increase from the last poll)
- 82% expressed confidence about being able to vote safely, an increase from 78% in the last poll
In the meantime, David Bergman wrote a thoughtful article about why the exclusion of the Awami League does not make this election unimportant, and that the Awami League alone is responsible for rehabilitating itself in the eyes of the nation.
On the campaign trail, BNP leader Tarique Rahman announced his support for a “Yes” vote on the national referendum. Both the BNP that he leads and their rival, Jamaat-i-Islami, released their campaign manifestos. Both the BNP manifesto and the Jamaat equivalent pledge to continue the work of the Interim Government among their priorities.
Time magazine published an article about the election, including a profile of Tarique Rahman, in what will likely be a large number of media reports on this the final phase of Bangladesh’s inspirational path back to democracy.
The article includes a shocking passage about how Sheikh Hasina’s son claimed to be working to disrupt the election: “Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, recently told Reuters that party loyalists had been instructed to disrupt the vote. ‘We will not allow elections without the Awami League to go ahead,’ he said. ‘Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger … eventually there’s probably going to be violence.'” So far, these appalling threats have been empty. Let’s hope they remain that way in the days ahead.
Finally, in an admirable act of holding itself accountable to the people of Bangladesh, the Interim Government published book detailing the reforms it had enacted, which it helpfully summarized in a Facebook post that also linked to the full report.
