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Analysts say an Opposition-less Parliament is not conducive for democracy
Eta ektu barabari hoye gesse [this is a bit too much] — this is how Awami League supporters reacted a day after the party swept 97% of seats in the national Parliament in Sunday’s general election.
Perhaps the Opposition should “have been given” 50-60 seats to make the election look credible, said some of them, declining to be named. The Awami League and its allies won 288 of the 299 seats contested, securing a third consecutive term in power. Jatiya Oikya Front, the Opposition coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), got nine seats. The Awami League chief, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, blamed the Opposition for its debacle. She said the election was free and fair and that the Opposition failed to put up a strong fight against the ruling party. She also said the people rejected them for their violent politics. One-sided victory
“At least 20-30 seats, if not 60-70, would have been better for democracy, this is too one-sided. God knows what lies ahead,” said Smruti S. Pattanaik, a research fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, a New Delhi-based autonomous think tank funded by the Government of India. An Opposition-less Parliament may not be conducive for democracy, said Ms. Pattanaik, a Bangladesh expert.
“Look at the Pakistan results. Even if it is managed by the Army, there is an Opposition in Parliament and Prime Minister Imran Khan will have to address the checks and the balances in the system,” she said. There is concern within the Awami League camp regarding the nature of the results. From ordinary activists to high-profile professors who publicly support their favourite party, people privately acknowledged that they are “embarrassed” to talk to their friends within the BNP. A senior journalist, who is an Awami League supporter, said the victory “could be the beginning of a complete one-party rule in Bangladesh”, which may not be “very exciting”. Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of the International Relations department in Dhaka University said that the Awami League’s activists “may have panicked” after the early polling. “The massive turnout in the first three or four hours probably have panicked them. Bangladesh has about 60-65% block votes, divided between two political alliances. The rest 30-35% matters as it may go in any way… now the large turnout may have panicked the Awami Leaguers and candidates went for an overkill,” said Mr. Ahmed. He feels the party “this time” was committed to a fair election. “But even without the overkill, they would have won it in any way ” said Mr. Ahmed.
’Worked hard’
Saidul Islam, a staff of the elite Dhaka Club in the capital city, feels the same. “After all, the Awami League government worked hard this time,” said Mr. Islam, a BNP supporter. His mother, Manowara Begum, paralysed waist down, told him so, he claimed. “She said that the Awami League got electricity in their area in Lokkhipur district and invested in roads, which has pleased her,” said Mr. Islam. He echoed Mr. Ahmed’s claim that the Awami League would have won the contest any way. On Monday, in the presence of 11 international journalists and a host of foreign observers, Prime Minister Hasina explained the same — why the party would have won in any case.
