Bangladesh has held many elections since independence in 1971. But few have carried the weight of this week’s vote. Now comes the harder test: Proving that victory does not mean domination.
Are you relieved (or disappointed) that Jamaat did not get more seats? Not so fast. This election was a big victory for the party. Those who are disappointed with Jamaat’s result have not yet had their basic lessons in politics.
Despite a paucity of resources, a showing of 66,000 was very creditable. Even without all their resources, without AL and minority votes, the BNP candidate would likely not have prevailed. This was an encouraging start that provides a strong base for the future.
Bangladesh remains socially conservative in many ways, but voters demonstrated political moderation. Economic stability, welfare support, and social peace mattered more than ideological confrontation. The electorate did not reject religion. It rejected restriction. It did not embrace radical liberalism. It embraced balance.
The winners and losers, and those in between, in the aftermath of the February 12 polls
Bangladesh has debated itself intensely this season . Now the debate shifts from imagination to implementation. Dhaka is not beyond saving. But it will not be saved by manifestos alone.
The new government will need to deal with a range of issues related to transitional justice, to include accountability, truth, healing, and (ultimately) reconciliation.
For all its organizational strength (its cradle-to-grave welfare systems, disciplined cadres, and efficient disaster response), Jamaat serves a problematic end: It is in the service of creating a theocracy from the bottom up.
Jamaat can only win if this is a wave election, signaling a tectonic shift in the national mood. There is little evidence of this in the polls and available data. It is possible, but not probable.
While turnout may not reach historic highs, it is nonetheless expected that up to 70% of voters will participate. Yet, as election day draws near, a palpable sense of anxiety and security concern has settled over the public.
The wording in the referendum question, set out in the four separate categories of reforms, only clearly match with 20 of the 47 numbered proposals set out in the July Charter
We should treat the promise of this election with the respect it deserves. The students who gave their lives, the activists who risked everything, the ordinary citizens who stood up against tyranny, did not do so for narrow partisan advantage. They did so for Bangladesh.
To understand whether an individual is honest, we need to know whether that person is committed to alternation of power, whether he understands the value of inclusivity and dissent, whether he knows that people with different ideas live within the same society, and whether he is willing to let them survive, grow, and challenge him.
Televised debates won't solve every problem with Bangladesh's political discourse. They won't eliminate partisanship or guarantee honesty. But they offer something increasingly rare: a structured opportunity for truth-testing, where claims meet challenges and voters can judge for themselves.
Whatever path you ultimately choose, I offer you my sincere best wishes. May your journey ahead be guided by wisdom, courage, and purpose -- and may it be as smooth and fulfilling as destiny permits.
As the nation approaches another election marked by controversy and uncertainty, the composition of its candidate list serves as both a warning and a mirror. It reveals not only who seeks power, but why they seek it.
