The election is over. The excuses must end. The post-2026 election period will be remembered either as the moment Bangladesh finally chose reform, or as another chapter of deferred responsibility.
It is time we moved from change is coming to change has happened. I strongly recommend to start with a small cabinet with a mix of veteran politicians, young politicians and technocrats. The scale can be extended after 6 months once the foundations are laid. A large cabinet will cause management nightmare and decisions will get obstructed.
The absence of any election recounts, with requests allegedly refused, will allow grievances to fester
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.
A democracy matures not when one party wins, but when citizens quietly redraw the boundaries of power. In this election, women redrew those boundaries. The republic now stands on ballots they cast.
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.
