Sheikh Hasina wins again Bangladesh, but there are still fears

Translated by Angela Tagliafierro

After a round of voting characterized by boycotts from the opposition and violences of any kind, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been confirmed as the leader of Bangladesh for her fifth mandate since 2009, the year of her first election. However, the background of the election is not reassuring at all. It is full of political contradictions which put Hasina and her party (Awami League) in the middle of harsh protests in the country as well as in the wider international scenario.

The political scenario

Face to the overwhelming victory of the party of the prime minister Hasina, it would be easy to think of a success for the democracy but, unfortunately, the appearances sometimes deceive. In the days before the legislative elections, which have been held on Sunday, January 07^th, at least dozens of attacks on the polling stations have been registered. The opposition party (Bangladesh National Party, Bnp) announced a 48-hour strike with the aim of boycotting the elections. So doing, only the 40% of around 119 million of Bangladeshi citizens having the right to vote is estimated to have going to the ballot boxes to express their preference. A victory, then, to be downsized since the Awami League has played a game with no opponents in the electoral constituencies where it was present, due to the boycotts and the insufficient flow of voters.

Heading the Bnp the ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is currently under house arrest for being accused of corruption. During the years, a back and forth between them has actually had place. It contributed not only to affect the politics of the country but also to normalize a scenario of electoral violences which periodically take place at the moment of the vote. According to several groups of human rights, in the last two elections held under Hasina's government many vote riggings happened (and were denied by the authorities many times), as well as another boycott by political groups representing the opposition.

Who is Sheikh Hasina?

Between admiration and disdain, celebration and criticism, trust and discomfort, her person has always provoked opposing feelings. The 76-year-old lady, considered like one of the hundreds women most powerful in the whole world (in 2020 she classified as 39th in the list), is the daughter of the first Bangladesh’s president as well as the father of the country: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. One of her first purposes preset, and later fulfilled, as soon as risen to power, has been to guarantee an adequate economic development to the country, exploiting especially the growth of the textile industry. In the two decades when Hasina has been prime minister, Bangladesh (counting around 170 million of people) saw its gross domestic product (GDP) increasing of 7%, observing a consequent decrease in the poverty. She's been acknowledged not only the credit for transforming the economy of a young nation risen from the ashes of the war, but also that of avoiding the tempted of military coups d'état. Even getting to neutralize the threat of the Islamist activism. Other than this, there are also the efforts which allowed to thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to find shelter in the country.

The other side of the coin

While Hasina's supporters show her positive impact on the country in terms of economic and social wealth, criticisms don't avoid highlighting how much is still necessary to do for the democratic guarantees. To witness this regression, there are thousands of members or, even, just supporters, of the opposition parties in jail because of order of the prime minister. The United Nations also expressed their apprehension toward a regime threatening the democratic principles the country is based upon, showing its authoritarian drift. The trial of eradicating the disagreement at all costs has always been a key point in Hasina's politics. The persecutions of the leaders of the civil society and the human rights defenders are an alarming message for the civic and democratic Bangladeshi space, declared one of the United Nation spokespersons.

In such a bizarre way, it is worrying the condition Bangladeshi women live in. As a matter of fact, in terms of rights, the protection is still too limited. It is enough to consider that in Bangladeshi society when a woman tries to oppose to a man's will is still labelled as wrong. Such that there have been extremist situations like in the case of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a 16-year-old student burnt alive in the school just because she had threatened her professor to denounce him for rape.

Generally speaking, the difficult position of women has to be put in a context characterized by such oppressive inequalities, with such a focused wealth. There are several families who, trying to handle the limited economic resources at their disposal, they decide to allow only to their sons to be educated and to oblige their daughters to make underpaid jobs in the textile industry.

While Hasina has declared that she will do her best “to ensure that democracy keeps alive in this country”, can we really talk of a win desired by citizens?

Mondo Internazionale APS – Riproduction Reserved® 2024