In the recent contentious general elections in Bangladesh, the ruling Jamaat-Awami League clinched victory for the fifth consecutive term.
The Election Commission reported that Hasina Wajid’s Awami League and its allies secured 223 out of 300 parliamentary seats, while independent candidates claimed 63 seats and the Jatiya Party secured 11.
Al Jazeera, a prominent media outlet, highlighted that these victorious independent candidates were actually affiliated with the Awami League, not endorsed by the party, standing as “proxy candidates” to showcase transparency internationally. This win secures Hasina Wajid’s path to serve another five years as Prime Minister. However, skepticism arose as official claims suggested a voter turnout of only 40 percent, a figure challenged by critics who pointed to images of empty polling stations.
Abdullah Yusuf, an engineer in Dhaka, remarked, “Dhaka felt unusually quiet, reminiscent of a lockdown. I witnessed empty polling stations in my area, predominantly occupied by Awami League workers. The 40 percent voter turnout claim seems far-fetched.”
Ahead of the elections, there was a crackdown on opposition figures, accompanied by violent clashes during polling. The main opposition, Bangladesh National Party (BNP), boycotted the election, alleging government manipulation, crackdowns, and exclusionary tactics.
BNP leaders, including Khalid Zia, have been imprisoned for years, while the opposition accused the government of targeting their candidates and local leaders, including activists. Human rights activist Shahid Alam labeled this election result as “a peculiar outcome of a rigged election,” foreseeing a parliament constituted by “proxy candidates.”
Analysts viewed this “one-sided election” as a mere formality to reinstate Hasina in power. Former Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hussain expressed doubts about the reported 40 percent turnout, citing the Election Commissioner’s conflicting statements, initially announcing 28 percent and then abruptly claiming 40 percent, leading to confusion.
Al Jazeera verified a discrepancy during the Election Commission’s briefing where the reported turnout on their dashboard shifted from 28 percent to 40 percent. Brotee, head of a leading election monitoring organization, criticized this sudden increase within an hour as “questionable,” tarnishing the Election Commission’s credibility.
Describing it as more of a self-voting exercise by a single party, Brotee commented, “It wasn’t an election but an orchestrated effort for self-endorsement.” Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported over 10,000 opposition activists arrested, several fatalities, and thousands injured during the government crackdown leading up to the elections.
