Sheikh Hasina Elected Bangladesh’s PM 5th Time

Sheikh Hasina Elected Bangladesh’s PM 5th Time. Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has secured her position for a remarkable fifth term, emerging victorious in an election marked by a severe crackdown on the opposition and dismal voter turnout. The Election Commission, in the early hours of Monday, declared the ruling Awami League, led by Hasina, as the winner with an overwhelming nearly 75% of the seats, extending their rule into a fourth consecutive term. This win signifies Hasina’s fifth term as prime minister, considering her previous tenure from 1996 to 2001, and her return to power in 2009.

The Awami League faced minimal opposition as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chose to boycott the election, labeling it a “sham election” and calling for a general strike. The months leading up to the election witnessed a massive crackdown on BNP members, with tens of thousands arrested and kept in dire conditions in overcrowded prisons. Opposition protests were met with severe police violence, resulting in the deaths of at least nine BNP leaders and supporters within the past three months, as reported by the opposition.

While Hasina’s leadership has been associated with rapid economic growth and a thriving garment export industry, her government has faced criticism from human rights groups and political opponents for alleged human rights abuses and a perceived shift towards authoritarian one-party rule. Hasina, however, has consistently denied these allegations and asserted that her policies aim for stability, secularism, and economic development.

The BNP’s demand for the election to be conducted under a caretaker government, to ensure fairness, went unmet. As the election results were unveiled, BNP leaders collectively condemned the polls, with Tarique Rahman, the BNP chairman living in exile in London, describing it as a “disgrace to the democratic aspirations of Bangladesh.”

Amid sporadic incidents of violence leading up to the election, including an arson attack on a train in Dhaka and clashes between BNP supporters and police, the voting process itself was marred by allegations of fraud, conflict, and forced ballot stuffing. Several polling centers experienced disruptions, echoing similar irregularities from past elections.

Hasina, at 76, dismissed claims of authoritarianism, insisting the election was “free and fair.” However, the evident impact of the crackdown on the opposition and perceived predetermined nature of the polls significantly affected voter turnout. Initially reported at 28%, the chief election commissioner later corrected the figure to around 40%, revealing voter apathy and a sense of disillusionment with the electoral process.

Critics and citizens alike expressed their dissatisfaction, with some describing the election as a “dummy election” leading Bangladesh towards a de facto one-party state. The international community, including the United States, exerted pressure on Hasina’s government to ensure fair elections, resulting in visa restrictions imposed on several Bangladeshi officials accused of undermining the democratic process.

Since its establishment in 1971, Bangladesh’s political landscape has been dominated by two parties: the Awami League and the BNP. Hasina’s family legacy and the BNP’s historical roots have played a central role in shaping the nation’s political narrative. As the results were announced, concerns were raised by human rights advocates, such as Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch, who warned of potential further crackdowns on opposition supporters in the aftermath of the election.

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