Basic democratic principles not upheld in Jan 7 polls: EU

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The European Parliament in its report has said that the government seemed to have failed to uphold some basic democratic principles, the January 2024 general elections. 

Excerpt from the report: In the run-up to the 2024 elections, the opposition parties have once again demanded that the current government resign and let an impartial caretaker government guide the country through the elections. The AL considers this demand as not having legal grounds, given the absence of constitutional provisions for such a measure. On 28 October 2023, a grand rally of BNP supporters in Naya Paltan (Dakha) was dispersed with force by the police, who were accused of obstructing the gathering. According to local media reports, AL members were allowed to maintain order using sticks, while internet services in the rally area were either shut down or reduced. Media outlets also reported that in the following weeks, against a backdrop of BNP-declared hartal (general strikes) and oborodh (blockades)throughout the country, as well as arson attacks, the police engaged in a massive crackdown against the opposition: it locked the BNP headquarters and arrested several thousands of BNP activists and many of its senior leaders, including 75-year old secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The Dhaka metropolitan police maintained that the accusation that false cases were filed against the opposition was 'baseless'. In mid-November, a US administration proposal to the main three parties (AL, BNP and the Jatiya Party) to engage in dialogue to resolve the political deadlock was rejected by the government. 2 Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission announced that a general election would take place on 7 January 2024.

The opposition parties rejected the schedule and called a general strike in protest, claiming that the Electoral Commission had made the announcement in line with the wishes of the AL. To add to the political unrest, a garment workers' wage dispute has escalated, with workers taking to the streets in November 2023. These protests are provoking disruption in the supply chain, increasing inflation and harming the economy. Against this backdrop, with the government seeming to have failed to uphold some basic democratic principles, the January 2024 general elections will feature Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League going unchallenged, (as in 2018) as opposition parties (namely BNP, whose leadership have mostly been jailed) have decided to boycott the vote. This points to a fourth consecutive electoral triumph for AL.