General elections were held in Bangladesh on 5 January 2014, in accordance with the constitutional requirement that elections must take place within the 90-day period before the expiration of the term of the Jatiya Sangshad on 24 January 2014.
The elections were not free and fair.[1] They were preceded by a government crackdown on the opposition, with Bangladesh Nationalist Party and opposition leader Khaleda Zia put under house arrest.[2] There were widespread arrests of other opposition members, violence and strikes by the opposition, attacks on religious minorities, and extrajudicial killings by the government,[3] with around 21 people killed on election day.[4] Almost all major opposition parties boycotted the elections, resulting in 153 of the 300 directly elected seats being uncontested and the incumbent Awami League-led Grand Alliance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina winning a landslide majority. Hasina became the first prime minister in the history of Bangladesh to be re-elected to serve a second term.
During 2013 the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its alliance of 18 opposition parties led by three-time former prime minister and Opposition LeaderKhaleda Zia called more than 85 days of nationwide general strikes and blockades that brought the entire country to a grinding halt. The opposition demanded that the ruling Awami League party led by the current prime minister Sheikh Hasina amend the constitution, dissolve the parliament after their full five-year term ended on 24 January 2014, and then hand over power to a non-partisaninterim government or a caretaker government that would be run by technocrats for 90 days. The job of a Caretaker Government of Bangladesh would then be to work in tandem with the Bangladesh Election Commission by helping them to organise, arrange, and oversee the general election held on 5 January and transfer power to a newly elected government. As most of the demands were not met within the stipulated time frame, all opposition parties boycotted the polls.[8] Hasina had offered an all party interim election cabinet government which would include opposition parties till the election but this was rejected by Zia.[9][10]
Date
Ballot paper from 2014 election
Since the ninth parliament's mandate expires on 24 January 2014, according to the constitution of Bangladesh's Article 123(2)(a) requires a general election to be held between 26 October 2013 and 24 January 2014 or rather within 90 days before the expiration of the Parliament.[11] On 25 November 2013, the Bangladesh Election Commission announced that the 10th general election would be held on 5 January 2014.[12][13]
Boycott
Following months of protests, strikes and blockades, the 18-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party formally announced a boycott of the election citing unfair conditions for the election.[14] On 3 December 2013, Jatiya Party, led by former president Hussain Mohammad Ershad, also announced its intention to boycott the election. European Union representatives met BNP leader Khaleda Zia and asked her not to boycott the election and to stop the strikes and shutdowns and instead resort to dialogue with the government.[15][16] In a video message, Tarique Rahman, the senior vice-chairman of the BNP called for a boycott of the election saying that "the time has come for all of us to prevent and boycott the 5 January polls. Not for personal interest but for the sake of the country's existence".[17] The opposition had also called for the government to resign so an interim non-partisan administration could lead the country through the election period.[18]
On the night of 4 December 2013, Jatiya Party leader H. M. Ershad threatened to kill himself after security forces besieged his home following his decision to boycott the election.[19] On 13 December, he was confined to a military hospital following his arrest from his Baridhara residence by security forces. According to the RAB commander, Ershad had been taken there at his own request.[20] Zia was also put under house arrest since 29 December at her Gulshan residence.[2] The Bangladesh Army was deployed throughout the country on 26 December on the request of the election commission to maintain law and order. The army would stay on the streets until 9 January 2014.[21]
On 13 December, Jamaat-e-Islami'sAbdul Quader Mollah became the first person to be executed for war crimes relation to the Bangladesh Independence War resulting in violent protests by the Islamist opposition. Two ruling party activists were hacked to death in Kalaroa, while the Jamaat-e-Islami's activists firebombed train stations and blockaded roads. Another person died in clashes between police and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters in Noakhali, while a driver was killed after the party's activists chased him down. The opposition alliance called for a general strike on Sunday 15 December.[22]
On 29 December 2013 the BNP called for a "March for Democracy" towards Dhaka, in defiance of a police ban, to protest against the election. Zia said: "The government is autocratic and illegal. It should step down immediately".[23] One person was killed by the police in the centre of Dhaka, while a guard was killed in a blast at a train station.[23] Some supporters of the ruling Awami League also clashed with opposition activists outside the Bangladesh Supreme Court.[23][24][25] The BNP accused the police of barring Zia's car from leaving in order for her to lead the march.[25] Thousands of security forces, mainly police, were present to prevent the opposition activists from rallying.[26] Outside of the Supreme Court, police threw hot and coloured water from water cannons to disperse the protesters.[24] Sheikh Hasina, while agreeing with the right of the opposition to protest, said: "You can wage anti-government agitation. But make sure people are not killed by your movement."[27][28] A train was derailed by opposition activists in Gaibandha leading to three deaths.[29][30]
On 30 December, the 18-party opposition alliance announced a non-stop blockade of roads, railways and waterways across the country from 1 January 2014 in order to resist the scheduled election. The decision came after they were barred from holding national demonstrations the previous day. The protest was termed the "March for Democracy."[31] A general strike was called for 4, 5 and 6 January by the opposition parties.
At least 18 people died in election day violence after security forces fired on protesters and opposition activists torched over 100 voting centres.[18] In total 21 people died on the day and about 400 voting centers were disrupted.[4] BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists also attacked their Awami League counterparts and Hindus in eight villages under Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila leaving 15 people injured and their houses and shops vandalised and looted. Further, a Hindu temple along with idols inside it were also attacked. The attacks spread through eight villages including Jhakua, Jhardanga, Baniyapara and Mondoppara. Hundreds of Hindus from these villages had fled fearing further attacks. On 7 January, two Hindus temples, Radha Gobind Mandir and Kali Mandir, were burnt by people suspected to be BNP party members.[34][35][36] Fearing rape threats, female members of Hindu families were sent away to their relatives' homes by their families in Abhaynagar of Jessore, Dinajpur, and Thakurgaon.[37] Attacks also occurred in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogra, Lalmonirhat, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Jessore.[38]
Crackdown on the opposition
Before the election there were reports of opposition leaders and members being killed and arbitrarily arrested by the police. According to Human Rights Watch and US Department of State, Bangladesh police arrested "thousands" of opposition members.[3]
The government also interfered with opposition parties' organization of political events.[39] In December 2013, police prevented opposition from holding pre-election rallies, citing security reasons. The police also prevented BNP supports from organizing outside the party headquarters.[40]
Often opposition leaders were detained shortly after they announced strikes to protest the elections.[3] In one case, authorities arrested 203 opposition and leaders and activists on 26 December, immediately after the opposition announced it would be holding a "March for Democracy" on 29 December. By 28 December, one day before the rally, the police had arrested more than thousand BNP and Jamaat members.[3] Many of these were released in the evening or after the election.[3] In another case, BNP vice president Hafizuddin Ahmed was arrested immediately after he urged "non-stop demonstrations" until the elections. The police charged him with firebombing a bus in 2013. After the election, he was released.[3]
Khaleda Zia was prevented from leaving her home to attend a rally on 26 December,[3] and kept under house arrest until the election.[2] The government denied Zia was under house arrest. Zia's advisor Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Enam Ahmed Chowdhury were arrested on 29 December.[3]
Media shutdown
Prior to the election, the government restricted opposition broadcasting.[39] In 2013, ruling Awami League shut down TV stations and detained a prominent newspaper editor. The government said the measure was necessary to curb violence, but opposition saw this as politically motivated.[41]
Monitors
As a result of the boycott, the election commission suggested that the Awami League had already secured victory in 127 of the 153 uncontested seats. Similarly, Rowshan Ershad's (wife of H. M. Ershad) Jatiya Party had already won 21 uncontested seats, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal won three seats, the Workers Party won two seats and the Jatiya Party (Manju) won one seat.[42] The E.U., the U.S. and the Commonwealth announced that they would not send observers since they were concerned about the credibility of the election due to the boycott.[43][44][45]
Opinion polls
The ruling Awami League suffered electoral losses when, according to The Economist, the opposition BNP "thrashed the League in mayoral elections in June and July, notably in Gazipur in the industrial belt, hitherto one of the League’s safest constituencies"[46] and polling data showed a plunge in the government's popularity.[47] Similarly, just prior to the election, an opinion poll indicated the incumbent Awami League would lose to the BNP in a direct contest.[48]
In the weeks following the election, a poll was conducted by Democracy International (DI), a US-based organization. They reported that the Awami League did have slightly more support than BNP, but acknowledged that the study's margin of error meant that the results were a "statistical dead heat".[49]
Results
The incumbent Bangladesh Awami League won the election with a safe majority, winning 234 seats. The election was controversial however as the opposition alliance boycotted the election.
Results of 139 seats, out of remaining 147 seats (which were contested), were released, with the Awami League winning 105, the Jatiya Party (Ershad) winning 13, the Workers Party winning four, the JSD winning two and the Tarikat Federation and BNF winning one each.[52] The remaining 8 constituencies election were suspended due to violence and election took place later.[52] The newly elected MPs were sworn in on 9 January.[53]
As a result of the boycott and violence voter turnout was lower than the previous few elections at only 40% in the 147 constituencies where an election took place, and as low as 22% in the capital, Dhaka.[51][44][54]
The day after the result, Hasina said that the boycott should "not mean there will be a question of legitimacy. People participated in the poll and other parties participated." However, she also said she offered Zia a role in a new government. "Look, I tried my best, I told you, I offered ministry, I offered to share power with our opposition. I have done as much as I can do but they didn't respond. Now if they realise that they made a mistake in not participating in the election, perhaps then they may come forward to discuss with us or make an offer. If they come forward to discuss with us, they have to leave all these terrorist activities behind because what they are doing it is absolutely killing people, killing police, killing innocent people."[48] Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu added that the turnout did not matter: "What is important is that the people defied violence."[4] BNP Vice President Shamsher Chowdhury said that the low turnout indicated a desire for a new election. "This government must declare this election null and void and we need a new election organised by a non-party government. The government should not waste any more time."
International
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lamented that the election was neither peaceful nor inclusive.[5] He criticised both the BNP and the Awami League saying they should "resume meaningful dialogue and to urgently address the expectations of the people of Bangladesh for an inclusive political process."[48]
United States: The United States said the election "did not appear to credibly express the will of the Bangladeshi people".
United Kingdom: The United Kingdom expressed "disappointment" at the low voter turnout and criticized acts of violence and political harassment that had taken place.[55]
Media
Dhaka's The Daily Star featured an editorial that called the election in the country's history and that the Awami League won "a predictable and hollow victory, which gives it neither a mandate nor an ethical standing to govern effectively." In similarly criticising the opposition, the editorial mentioned that "political parties have the right to boycott elections. They also have the right to motivate people to side with their position. But what is unacceptable is using violence and intimidation to thwart an election."[18]
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the election, violence continued and the government continued the crackdown on the opposition. Police carried out raids and arrested opposition leaders. Other opposition leaders and members went into hiding, citing harassment by authorities.[56] By 21 January, the government had arrested 7,015 activists and leaders of opposition, and placed a bounty of 100,000 taka ($1,300) on the heads of other protest leaders.[57] Many of the protesters had destroyed vehicles and blockaded roads, and 29 people had died in the unrest.[57]
Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone seventeen amendments.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is a major political party in Bangladesh. Founded on 1 September 1978 by the late Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman, with a view of uniting people with a nationalist ideology, BNP later came out as one of the two most dominant parties in Bangladesh, along with its archrival Awami League. Initially being a big tent centrist party, it moved towards more right-wing politics later.
Begum Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and second female prime minister in the Muslim world, after Benazir Bhutto. She is the widow of former president of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman. She is the chairperson and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1984, which was founded by her late husband in 1978.
The Bangladesh Awami League, often simply called the Awami League or AL, is one of the major political parties in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, Awami League successfully lead Bangladesh to the independence. One of the two most dominant parties in the country, along with its archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, it has been the ruling party since 2009, and has since been described as authoritarian.
The prime minister of Bangladesh, officially prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the chief executive of the government of Bangladesh. The prime minister and the cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate. The prime minister is ceremonially appointed by the president of Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina Wazed is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again since January 2009. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first president of Bangladesh. Having served for a combined total of over 19 years, she is the longest serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh. As of 13 May 2024, she is the world's longest-serving female head of government.
Hussain Muhammad Ershad was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the president of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990, heading a military dictatorship.
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The Jatiya Party is a centre-right, conservative, nationalist political party in Bangladesh and is currently the main opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad, against the Awami League. The current chairman of the party is Ghulam Muhammed Quader. On 3 January 2019, the party announced its decision to join the Bangladesh Awami League-led Grand Alliance after having been in opposition for the previous parliamentary term. However, the party backtracked the next day and announced that it intended to remain part of the opposition. Currently, it holds Rangpur out of Bangladesh's 12 city corporations. The current chairperson of the party is Ghulam Muhammed Quader MP.
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 29 December 2008. The two main parties in the election were the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia, and the Bangladesh Awami League Party, led by Sheikh Hasina. The Bangladesh Awami League Party formed a fourteen-party Grand Alliance including Ershad's Jatiya Party, while the BNP formed a four-party alliance which included the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami. The election was originally scheduled for January 2007, but it was postponed by a military-controlled caretaker government for an extended period of time.
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General elections were held in Bangladesh on 27 February 1991. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) emerged as the largest party in parliament, winning 140 of the 300 directly elected seats. The BNP formed a government with the support of the Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami, and on 20 March Khaleda Zia was sworn in for her first term as Prime Minister.
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 3 March 1988. They were boycotted by several major parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League, the National Awami Party (Muzaffar) and the Workers Party of Bangladesh. The result was a victory for the Jatiya Party, which won 251 of the 300 seats. Voter turnout was 52%.
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 15 February 1996. They were boycotted by most opposition parties, and saw voter turnout drop to just 21%. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which won 278 of the 300 directly elected seats. This administration was short-lived, however, only lasting 12 days before the installation of caretaker government and fresh elections held in June.
M Ilias Ali was a Bangladeshi politician and member of the Jatiya Sangsad (2001–2006) representing the Sylhet-2 constituency. He served as the organising secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He, along with his personal car driver, Ansar Ali, went missing on 18 April 2012. Later that day, local police recovered his abandoned car near his residence in Banani neighborhood and found Ansar's cellphone inside. They have not been seen since. On the tenth anniversary of his disappearance, Netra News, an independent news platform in Sweden, reported on 21 April 2022, that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite Bangladeshi police unit, had carried out the disappearance. The platform cited leaked confidential documents and internal investigations documents from RAB to reach the conclusion.
The history of Bangladesh (1971–present) refers to the period after the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
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The 1990 Mass Uprising, popularly known as '90's Anti-Authoritarian Movement, was a democratic movement that took place on 4 December and led to the fall of General Hussain Muhammad Ershad in Bangladesh. The uprising was the result of a series of popular protests that started from 10 October 1990 to topple General Ershad who came to power in 1982 by imposing martial law and replaced a democratically elected President through a bloodless coup.
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General elections were held in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024 in accordance with the current constitutional requirement, stating that elections must take place within the 90-day period before the expiration of the current term of the Jatiya Sangsad on 29 January 2024. The Awami League, led by incumbent Sheikh Hasina, won the election for the fourth consecutive time with less than 40% of the eligible voters voting according to an Election Commission, which is run by the ruling political party. The party won 224 seats while independent candidates, most of whom were Awami League members propped up as dummy candidates to give a semblance of competition, won 62 seats.
↑ "Awami League will win if elections are held today: poll". Business Standard. New Delhi. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014. The study, conducted by US-based Democracy International a week after the BNP-boycotted the January 5 polls, found that if the elections were fully participatory, 42.7 per cent people would have voted for the Awami League, while 35.1 per cent would have preferred the BNP.
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