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Rigging and Farce

In The Name of
Democracy and Constitution
The Brief Story of 10th Parliamentary Election
5 January, 2014

A K M Wahiduzzaman
February 7, 2014.

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Table of Content
Chapter Page
1. Context of the January Election 03

2. Participation, Fairness and Credibility of the Election 04

3. Cases of Riggings and Irregularities: Local Media

09
Coverage
4. Concern of the Global Community: International
16
Media Coverage

5. Reactions in Bangladesh 22

6. International Reaction: Organisations and Countries 25

7. Way Forward: Non-Party Caretaker Government 30

8. References 32

A clash between police and protesters after a crowd attacked polling booths in Bogra in the
north2 [Photo: BBC]

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1. Context of the 5th January Election
The 10th parliamentary national elections took place in Bangladesh on 5th January 2014. It
followed a longstanding controversy as the government of Bangladesh, led by Awami
League, amended the constitution to abolish the caretaker government system against the will
of above 90% Bangladeshis. The abolishment came to the centre of a multi-party boycott of
the elections, led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party, demanding reinstatement of the neutral
electoral government system and rescheduling of the elections. Despite vigorous calls from
the international community led by the United Nations to reconsider the provision and engage
in dialogue with the opposition, the Awami League-led government held the farcical election
keeping all political parties other than its allies away. They enjoyed the unprecedented
majority by default even before the polls took place, because non-participation of over two-
third of the eligible parties including the opposition left 153 seats without any candidate other
than those from the ruling Awami League.

Elections are not mere rituals in democratic societies; they constitute the very essence of
democracy. Any attempt to manipulate election is an attack on democracy. As the American
statesman John Adams said, “We should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose
sight of the danger to our liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of
our free, fair, virtuous and independent election.”

‘Impure elections’ not only undermine legitimacy of government but also deprive the citizens
of their basic human rights. “The will of the people,” asserts the United Nations Declaration
of Human Rights, “shall be the basis of the authority of government, this shall be expressed
in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be
held by secret vote or equivalent free voting procedures.”

Election is the link between legitimacy of political governance and liberty of human beings.
Mere voting is not enough for election.

As a country with one of the most stable and consistent democracies in the region, the
farcical 5th January elections not only brought down Bangladesh’s political standing to the
international community, but also marked the betrayal of the government with its people.

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2. Participation, Fairness and Credibility of the
Election
The conduct of free and fair elections is at the heart of the democratic process. But when an
election is conducted in a non-inclusive way, it leads to the loss of confidence with the
results, escalates structural disparities and social inequalities. Hence, it is important for any
nation to conduct a free, fair and credible election. But what are the characteristics of a
credible election? Although there is no standard definition of a credible election, there are
some aspects of a credible election, in light of which, we can assess the credibility of the 5th
January election.

Table 1: Comparison between Different Elections of Bangladesh since 1991 Based on the Data of
Bangladesh Election Commission
Number of Number of Number of
Voter Turnout Voter Turnout
Date of Election Seats Political in the Seats of across All Seats
Candidates
Contested Parties Contest (%) Nationwide (%)

27 February 1991 300 75 2363 55.45% 55.45%

12 June 1996 300 81 2293 74.96% 74.96%

1 October 2001 300 54 2563 75.59% 75.59%

29 December
300 38 1567 87.13% 87.13%
2008

5 January 2014 147 12 390 40.56% 17.83% *

* Calculated based on: Overall voter turnout (in 147 seats) / Number of nationwide eligible voters
(in all 300 seats) × 100

2.1. Lack of Opportunity to Reflect People’s Will

The first and foremost feature of a fair and credible election is that it must have the reflection
of the will of the people. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that
“The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be
expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage
and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.” Despite considering
the overall voter turnout, over half of them were by default kept out of the election as 153 out
of 300 total seats were not contested by any political parties, thus the ruling party candidates
won uncontested. A national election, where more than half of the populace is automatically
barred from taking any part at all, severely lacks credibility in reflecting people’s
will.

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2.2. Low Voter Turnouts
The second characteristic of a fair and credible election is the acceptable voter turnout. The
5th January election left a very low turnout throughout the country. An attempt to classify the
estimated turnout taken from the government, local and foreign observers, media reports and
non-government organisations results in three groups of turnout estimations. First, which is
the majority; estimate the turnout to be around 10%. Second, estimate the turnout to be
around 20%. And the last and the least, including that from the government of Bangladesh,
estimate the turnout to be above 30%.

The figures are not only shockingly low compared to the turnouts of the two elections,
74.37% in 2001 and 85.93% in 2008, but also significantly lower than the average of 73.2%
since democracy stabilised in the country in 1991. Popular speculations that an election
without neutral and nonpartisan administration would fail to attract most of the voters proved
phenomenally right on 5th January, thus proving the polls to be not credible and democratic.

Table 2: Discrepancies in Voter Turnouts as Per Various Organisations and Media

Outlets Based on Their Statements or Reports
Organisation or Media Estimated Voter Turnout
Election Commission of Bangladesh 40.56%
Bangladesh Awami League >40%
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) <10%
Election Working Group 30%
Bangladesh Human Rights Commission <10%
Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (FEMA) <10%
Asian Human Rights Commission <10%
Local Bangladesh Newspapers <10% 1
BBC 10-20% 2
Guardian 20% 3
Independent 10% 4
New York Times 22% 5
Reuters 21% 6
Time 20% 7
Wall Street Journal 22% 8
Fox News 22% 9
Telegraph Much less than 40% 10
Voice of America Much less than 40% 11

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2.3. Low Participation of Political Parties
An important criterion of a fair and credible election is that it must be taken part by all
qualified political parties. The UN in its principles declared that “Political contestants
(parties, candidates and supporters of positions on referenda) have vested interests in the
electoral process through their rights to be elected and to participate directly in government.”
In the 5th January election, only 12 political parties out of 41 took part. Hence less than 50%
registered political parties got involved in the process. The facts that – 153 out of 300 total
seats had no candidates other than those from the ruling party, and the number of total
candidates took an over 75% dip from that of the last elections of 2008 – reflect that the non-
participations effectively compromised the 5th January election’s democratic legitimacy.

2.4. Unhealthy Electoral Compromise

The ruling Awami League’s consensus with its allies for getting 153 candidates uncontested
was basically a strategy to hold the 10th general elections with minimum disruption within
the alliance in the pre- and post-election days. The party leadership forced many of its leaders
to withdraw their nomination papers to get the alliance candidates elected unopposed, as
polling in 300 constituencies without the main opposition had certainly encouraged
many of the Jatiya Party candidates to participate and earn automatic victory, allowing
Awami League an opportunity to claim the existence of other parties in the election.

Also, on 14th December 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her party had reached a
compromise and withdrawn their candidatures from some seats after liaising with other
parties participated in the polls-time government. She also proposed “walkover” to the BNP
in some constituencies if it had joined the “all-party polls-time government.” Whereas a
democratic election is about people’s participation and their competitive preference of the
participant parties, the declaration of “liaison and walkover” by the Prime Minister, who also
served as head of the government that oversaw elections, articulates significant undemocratic
catalysts in the election process. As a result, there are only 6 other political parties in the
parliament elected through the 6th January farce, all of whom have expressed their desire to
join the cabinet, essentially leaving no space for a functional opposition party.

2.5. Lack of Trust

A fundamental ingredient of a fair and credible election is that the electoral process must be
trusted by the citizens. According to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems
(EFES), “Building the public’s trust in the election process is of the utmost importance to
election management bodies around the world. Building trust requires honesty, integrity and
transparency from all actors and stakeholders in the electoral and political process.” The
credibility of an election largely depends on the actual and perceived integrity of the electoral
process. More specifically, if citizens believe the electoral process is defective, dishonest, or

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less than free and fair, they may not accept the outcome. It is evident that there has been no
fair competition even among the parties which are participating in the 10th parliamentary
election as there was either mistrust or compromise among the parties.

The events surrounding the elections displayed severe lack of trust on the overall process in
two phases. First, over two-third of eligible political parties, including the ones those won to
government more than once before, boycotted the polls in demand of a neutral caretaker
government to oversee the election. Second, poor turnout strongly reverberate the lack of
trust. Majority of the estimations hint at around 10% turnout, disregard of large scale poll
fraud accusations those overwhelmed the national media on the election day, articulates lack
of public trust on the election. Compared to the average turnout of 73.28% of the last four
national polls, the 10th national Parliamentary election, by statistics, displays itself as the
least credible election of Bangladesh in decades.

2.6. Lack of Information and Transparency

When the administrative body that oversees an election hides information or cannot offer
enough transparency, it makes the election questionable and controversial. In the 5th January
election, the Election Commission of Bangladesh took more than two days to finally
announce the total voter turnover, which led many to believe that the Commission was
involved in round of discussions with Awami League leaders to come up with a convincing
number. Things got worse when the Commission failed to offer any constituency-level
information or provide a list of all polling centres with their corresponding vote counts. It
also failed to justify how the visible low voter turnout could still take the national rate to over
40%, especially in the centres where only a handful of voters were seen but casting was
shown above 70-80% mark. On the one hand, journalists were restrained from asking the
Election Commissioners any question regarding the election data, and on the other hand, the
Commission’s website was kept inaccessible during and after the election, creating a situation
where virtually no other data or information is available apart from a random, impractical and
unbelievable percentage of voter turnouts.

2.7. Rejection by Observers and Organisations

Democracies in different parts of the world are connected in principle and practice by their
generic factors of effectiveness. So credibility of a country’s democratic practices principally
requires endorsement of the international community. The 5th January elections of
Bangladesh unequivocally failed in achieving that endorsement. UK, USA, European Union,
Russian Federation, Canada and Australia articulately refused to send observers for the
election. Neither did international organisations like United Nations, Amnesty International
and Human Rights Watch. The latter did not even summon their local stations in Bangladesh
to look into the election and assess its effectiveness, as it was already taken as a matter of fact
that the elections were not going to be credible. These refusals displayed the global refusal of

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considering the 5th January election a democratic practice. The fact is even underlined when it
is revealed that the government, in an attempt to cover its image, paid two observer groups
from India and Bhutan and come to Bangladesh and observe the elections, making them the
sole international observer groups available in the field on 5 January.

Table 3: Comparison of Election Observers in the Elections of 2008 and 2014 12

Parameter Parliamentary Election 2008 Parliamentary Election 2014

Local Observers 160,000 15,000
Local NGOs 75 11
International Monitors 585 169
International Organisations
18 2
and Country Groups

Security parson stand guard in front vote center at kawkhali primary School in Dohar
near Dhaka. [Photo: Demotix.com]

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3. Cases of Riggings and Irregularities: Local
Media Coverage
In spite of all the Bangladeshi newspapers and television channels being controlled by
the government with minimal room for freedom of expression, 13 14 the media outlets took
a reasonably bold step by challenging the government’s repression during the election of
5th January, and captured countless evidences of riggings, irregularities and
misappropriations. There are 15 cases below that represent the incidents occurred across
all 147 seats taken from the evidence-based reports published in the leading newspapers
of Bangladesh to show the extent to which the election was flawed and farcical perhaps
to make it the worst ever national election in the global history of democracy.

Case-01. 31 candidates withdraw from election race 15

Allegation of rigging
Thirty one candidates, including from two alliance partners of the ruling Awami League,
boycotted yesterday's polls alleging vote rigging by their rivals. Among the candidates,
four were from AL, nine from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu), one from Workers
Party, three from Jatiya Party (Ershad), AL’s former ally in the grand alliance, two from
JP (Manju) while the rest were independent candidates.

Case-02. 25 candidates call it quits on election day 16

Candidate failed to cast his own vote
Brahmanbaria-3 constituency’s Jatiya Party-JP candidate M Farid Ahmad had boycotted
the election as he was unable to cast his vote. He alleged that his vote was cast by
someone else before he entered the Annada Government High School polling station in
Brahmanbaria town at about 11am. He also described the election as ‘selection’.

Case-03. Little effort to better turnout 17

Finds Star's monitoring in capital
Voter turnout in the capital
was very low even though
polling went on without any
incidents of violence. The
Daily Star had deployed 14
reporters at seven polling
centres in the capital to record
each and every incident
related to voting. There were
incidents of fake votes being
Photographers taking photo of a rare moment on Election Day
cast in two of the centres.

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Case-04. Lower turnout 18
A number of people also accused local Awami League activists of casting
false votes in favour of their candidate
The turnout of voters for the 10th Parliament Elections was remarkably low at
Narayanganj polling centres. A number of people also accused local Awami League
activists of casting false votes in favour of their candidate. The Dhaka Tribune’s
Narayanganj correspondent, who visited a couple of polling centres in Narayanganj-1
constituency, reports that the centres were almost empty during the morning hours.

Ansar and VDP men stand guard at the voter-less Bangabandhu University College polling
centre in Kalapani of Dhaka around 10:00am, two hours after voting began. [Photo: Daily Star]

Case-05. An MP’s lesson on rigging votes 19

Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Afil Uddin instructs the party faithful on
how to vote again and again
“One hundred boys will always be in the queue. One will go inside the booth and then
stand at the end of the line again. He will not go home. One hundred boys will always be
in the line. One will enter the booth and then stand again behind the ninety-nine. The
next one will go and stand in the queue again. Like this, they will come and go again and
again. People and journalists will come and see the centre is full -- thousands of votes
are being cast; thousands of voters have turned out. No problem,” he said, instructing the
polling agents of Monirul Islam, AL aspirant from Jessore-2.

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Case-06. Child voters for Shahara! 20
Large number of children to cast votes for Dhaka-18 constituency
Our Staff Correspondent who covered the polls in Uttara saw many children aged
between 10 and 16 standing in queues to cast their votes. About 100 kids were brought to
Uttara Girls High School and College centre and instructed them cast vote for Shahara
Khatun, a candidate of ruling AL.

Photo: Banglar Chokh

Case-07. Polls-rigging allegation against Tuku’s son 21

Allegation of rigging
Supporters of Awami League leader and junior Home Minister Shamsul Hoque Tuku
rigged votes in Pabna Sadar on Sunday during the parliamentary elections. Tuku’s son
Ashik Al Shams led a gang of some 50 supporters and attacked Shahidnagar Government
High School and Satiakola Dakhil Madrassa around noon. Presiding officers of both
polling stations, Atiqur Rahman and Sakhawat Hossain, made similar complaints. They
sent a letter to the TNO.

“The activists of Shamsul Haque Tuku came in at the eleventh hour, and casted some votes
illegally. Otherwise there is no way that the number can raise that high,” said Mohsin Ali, a
voter of Santhia Upazilla. Yeasin Ali, a voter of Bera thana said the manipulation was done
by associates of Shamsul Haque Tuku, and his connection with the law enforcement
agencies.

Professor Abu Sayeed, former junior information minister and a candidate alleged that Tuku's
supporters were preventing votes to be cast on his polls-sign, the lock. [Photo: Kaler Kontho]
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Case-08. Low in the day, high at night 22
Allegation of rigging
The turnout at Matuail Adarsha High School polling centre was only 16.5 percent as of
midday yesterday. But in the last two hours, it rose to 42 percent, thanks to false votes
cast by polling agents and supporters of the Awami League candidate. A team from The
Daily Star was present at the centre in Dhaka-5 throughout the day. It saw a few AL
activists frequently entering and exiting the centre’s seven booths. They were casting
false votes aided by the polling agents. The AL activists also talked with the returning
officer of Dhaka over the phone and urged him to direct the presiding officers to help
them in the rigging, a presiding officer, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Star.
He also said the AL men warned the officers of consequences if they did not cooperate in
vote rigging to make the turnout 51 percent.

Case-09. Not a vote in 41 centres 23

Not a single vote was cast in at least 41 polling centres of 11
districts yesterday, a phenomenon the nation has never before witnessed
Of the 41 polling centres, 27 were alone in Lalmonirhat, while four in Jhenidah, two
in Satkhira, and one each in, Feni, Sylhet, Cox's Bazar, Chuadanga, Dinajpur, Naogaon,
Rajshahi and Sirajganj. All the centres were set up in BNP-Jamaat dominated areas.

Case-10. No voter? Have a shave! 24

A little more than 600 votes out of a total of 3,221 were cast as of 1:50pm
It was around 1:50pm when these correspondents entered the Lalbagh Government
Primary School polling centre in the capital yesterday. Presiding Officer Redwan
Rahman had nothing to do for quite some time. A teacher at a government college,
Redwan decided to make the best use of the time by having a shave. As soon as the two
correspondents entered his room on the first floor, he smiled and said, “I just finished
shaving. You see there is hardly any workload.

Deserted poll-centres in capital Dhaka [Photo: Focusbangla]

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Case-11. Awami League scrambles to increase turnout 25
They had been instructing leaders over phone to bring people to the polls
Despite all efforts the ruling Awami League has failed to bring its target amount of
voters to the polls. Halfway through the election day, the party’s central leaders were
quite frustrated with the turnout. Over the last few days, they had been instructing local
leaders over phone to bring people to the polls. Around noon, when they were getting
information from all over the country about poor voter turnout, the leaders became quite
frustrated.

Polls Progress: The same frame captured at four different moments during the polling at
Azimpur Girls School and College centre in Dhaka. [Photo: Daily Star]

Case-12. AL men oust independent candidate’s agents in Khulna-3 26

Some voters of Khulna-2 alleged that Awami League activists threatened
them to cast votes for their candidate
Activists of the ruling Awami League allegedly ousted the agents of a Khulna-3
independent candidate, while some voters of Khulna-2 alleged that Awami League
activists threatened them to cast votes for their candidate.
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Case-13. Fake ballots put ruling party in question 27
Fake ballots and low turnout across the country have posed a new
challenge for Awami League to legitimize its government
There have also been reports of forcing agents of rival candidates out of polling centres
and snatching of ballot boxes. The Dhaka Tribune reporters and district correspondents
visited many polling centres across the country. They found candidates of the Awami
League and its allies involved in widespread vote rigging to ensure victory and project a
higher turnout.

At least 26 centres in four districts – 21 in Lalmonirhat, three in Jamaat-dominated areas

of Satkhira, one in Sylhet and Rajshahi each saw no voter.

Allegations of casting false votes and riggings were rife in many centres outside Dhaka.
For instance, state minister for home Shamsul Hoque Tuku’s son cast a huge number of
false votes in Pabna’s Bera and Santhia constituencies.

Shakahwat Hossain, the presiding officer of Shahidnagar government primary school in

Pabna, said 125 votes were cast until 2pm, two hours before the closing of the votes. But
the official figure shows 1200 votes at the end of the polls at 4pm.

This means the centre had 1075 votes in the last 120 minutes.

Case-14. 3 poll officials caught while stamping ballot papers 28

Allegation of rigging
Three poll officials were arrested at Sarail Uchaliapara Government Primary School
centre under Brahmanbaria-2 constituency while stamping ballot papers in favour of a
candidate. The arrestees are assistant presiding officer Zubeda Khatun and polling
officers Kahinoor Begum and Nasima Khatun. Zubeda and Kahinoor are the visitors of
Sarail upazila family planning office while Nasima is an assistant teacher of Aruail High
School in the upazila.

Photo: Ekushe TV

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Case-15. Low turnouts, violence mar polls 29
Allegation of rigging
The MDC Model Institute polling centre in Mirpur remains empty even after the voting
started yesterday morning. In the face of resistance by the opposition alliance, the 10th
parliamentary election held in 147 constituencies yesterday was marked by significantly
low turnout in many centres and deadly violence in some places outside Dhaka in which
at least 20 people, including an Ansar member, were killed. There were also allegations
of vote rigging, irregularities and mismanagement in many centres, including a few in
the capital. Supporters of several candidates rigged votes to ensure win. In Dhaka 15
constituency (Kafrul), activists loyal to ruling Awami League candidate and incumbent
lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Mojumder compelled even an on-duty reporter to leave the
Monipur School and College centre at Kazipara when they were filling up ballot boxes
locking the doors.

There were no voters in the polling. However, the presence of some pets was visible.
[Photo: Banglar Chokh]

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4. Concern of the Global Community:
International Media Coverage
The international media has responded with great character by featuring regular updates
surrounding the election results and processes through investigative news, reports and
photographs. All major newspapers and television channels heavily criticised Sheikh
Hasina, Awami League and the Bangladesh government for their autocratic attitude and
explained as to how the election lacks national and international credibility or
acceptance. They suggested that the Bangladesh government should go for immediate
cancellation of the poll results and thereby pave the path for free, fair and credible
national elections as soon as possible.

Representative comments on the 5th January Election by international media outlets

while featuring the news are discussed here.

4.1. ABC News 30

The voting began at 8 a.m. but local television stations showed mostly empty polling
stations, still wrapped in early morning winter fog. Hasina’s refusal to quit and name an
independent caretaker administration, which resulted in the boycott by opposition
parties, means the election will mainly be a contest between candidates from the ruling
Awami League and its allies.

4.2. Al Jazeera 31
Voters in modest numbers cast ballots on Sunday amid heavy security, in an election
shunned by international observers. Voting fraud was reported in more than a hundred
centres across the country. With at least 24 deaths since polls opened, allegations of
widespread fraud and a bitter political standoff, many Western nations have stated the
tenth national parliamentary elections were “not credible”.

4.3. BBC 32,33

The elections are more like a case of constitutional box-ticking than a genuine choice for
the public. While the Awami League may have acted constitutionally, it is arguable
whether their actions are truly fostering democracy, especially when opinion polls
suggest the BNP may win power if free and fair polls are held. Not only do the polls
have little credibility, but the public may also feel cheated. Awami League has won a
violent general election whose outcome was never in doubt, after a boycott by the main
opposition party. Voter turnout appears to have been particularly poor, with just over
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20% reportedly taking part. More than 70% voted in the 2008 parliamentary elections,
with officials saying the fear of violence and the boycott kept many away this time.

4.4. Bloomberg 34
In Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections Sunday, everyone lost. The vote was marred by
bloodshed, boycotted by the opposition, and notable mostly for a dearth of actual voters.
No government that forms out of these elections -- which Hasina’s own son admitted
were “half-baked” -- will ever command solid domestic or international support. New
elections are needed, as even members of the ruling party acknowledge privately.

4.5. CNN 35
A number of civic groups in Bangladesh and international communities urged the
government to cancel the voting and reschedule the elections. But disputes over the vote
appeared to be far from over, with the country's largest opposition party calling for a
fresh round of protests starting Monday against farcical polls.

4.6. Daily Mail 36

The international community has uniformly denounced the January 5 elections which
saw a voter turnout of about 30 per cent against the 83 per cent who voted in 2008. As
many as 153 out of the 300 seats were won uncontested by the Awami League alliance
which secured a three-fourths majority. In the wake of domestic protests and
international condemnation, Sheikh Hasina has more or less conceded that she will have
to undo the elections. A re-election, which will almost certainly see the victory of the
BNP, is bad news for India. But New Delhi can only blame itself for its predicament.

4.7. Dawn 37
It has been a caricature of an election. The results were known even before the votes
were actually cast. Even in such a one-sided election, we witnessed instances of stuffing
of ballot box, fake voters, ballot box hijacking and other kinds of gross irregularities.
Perhaps, BNP is also somewhat happy in that their boycott has led to a near voter-less
election, which will lead to a government that will be suffering from a congenital
legitimacy crisis.

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4.8. Deutsche Welle 38
Bangladesh election is deeply worrying. International pressure will now mount, that is
certain. After all, neither the USA, nor the European Union nor the Commonwealth was
willing to send monitors to observe the election. Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League
may have won, but it is a pyrrhic victory secured at the expense of the country's
democratic stability.

4.9. Economic Times 39

The ruling Awami League swept the general election in Bangladesh which were marred
by deadly clashes, low turnout and a boycott by opposition parties. Most voters preferred
to stay at home fearing violence during the polling in 147 out of 300 constituencies in 59
districts.

4.10. Economist 40
Sheikh Hasina plans to hang on to office after an electoral farce. It is becoming hard to
know whether Prime Minister is a cynically good actress or cut off from political reality.
Her country’s democracy is in a rotten state. Of a potential electorate of 92m (out of
more than 150m people), only a minority turned out. Many polling stations saw almost
no voters, then suspiciously large numbers of ballots cast late in the day. Sheikh Hasina
enjoys a degree of political cover. Western countries all refused to send observers to the
recent polls. On January 6th American, British and other governments lamented the
violence and the flawed election in equal measure. The biggest neighbour, India, did
send observers to the polls, and praised her for holding them at all.

4.11. Guardian 41
The poll brought months of strife to a bloody climax, with 19 people reported killed in
unrest across the country. Most were identified as opposition activists and included some
who died after police opened fire on demonstrators. Hundreds of thousands of armed
police, paramilitaries and troops were deployed to keep order during voting. Awami
League officials now admit that the fresh elections will have to be held to obtain a
“genuine mandate” but say that “rushing into new polls would be a mistake” as the
country needed to be “stabilised and secured”.

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4.12. Hindu 42
There are no real winners in Bangladesh. Hasina must know that questions about the
credibility of this election will not easily vanish. New Delhi’s description of the
elections as a “constitutional requirement” that Prime Minister Hasina has fulfilled, is
too nuanced to serve any useful purpose; in fact, it only makes it seem partisan. If India
really wants to help progressive and liberal forces in Bangladesh, it must use its cordial
ties with the Awami League to work at breaking the deadlock.

4.13. Hindustan Times 43

Bangladesh polls: is it a real victory for Hasina? Pressure mounts on Bangladesh PM
after walkover re-election. The result was never in doubt, with Hasina’s Awami League
and a handful of allies winning all the seats being contested. The vote’s credibility had
been undermined even before polling day as 153 Awami League members or allies were
declared elected unopposed to the 300-seat parliament.

4.14. Independent 44
Bangladesh has been rocked by a fresh wave of violence after the country's ruling party
pushed ahead and held a controversial election that the main opposition boycotted.
Despite widespread appeals from both inside and outside Bangladesh, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina refused to agree to a demand from the opposition parties to appoint a
neutral caretaker government to oversee the polls. The EU, US and the Commonwealth,
which refused to send observers to take part in the polling, suggested the election be
postponed until an agreement could be reached with the opposition.

4.15. New York Times 45

Low turnout in Bangladesh elections amid boycott. The scene in the capital as polls
opened for the general elections was ominous, with black- clad Special Forces units and
soldiers in combat gear patrolling nearly empty boulevards. The lack of competition
produced a bizarre election, especially given Bangladesh’s tradition of boisterous
democracy. Pro-government candidates ran unopposed in more than half of Parliament’s
300 seats; in those districts, local elections were not held, leaving 48 million registered
voters without any opportunity to vote.

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4.16. Reuters 46
With fewer than half of the 300 seats being contested, voters cast ballots in modest
numbers amid heavy security in polling that lacked the festivity typical of Bangladeshi
elections and was shunned by international observers as flawed. Low voter participation
could pile new pressure on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to find a compromise with the
opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for holding new elections. The
immediate fallout of this dismal voter turnout will be the Hasina government coming
under greater pressure to hold talks with the opposition. It is the ultimate sign of protest
by Bangladeshi people and tells us that they are unhappy with the way elections have
been held in this country.

4.17. Telegraph 47
The European Union and United States had last month refused to monitor the elections
as the political parties had failed to create the necessary conditions for “transparent,
inclusive and credible elections.” Privately, diplomats in Dhaka they say that their
relationship with Bangladesh will no longer be “business as usual” as they try to
influence the government to come to an agreement with the opposition party to hold new
elections, believing that this is the only way to bring an end to the political crisis that has
enveloped the country.

Police detain a suspect following an attack on a polling station in the northern town of Bogra
[Photo: Telegraph]

Page | 20
4.18. Time 48
Bangladeshi voters lose out in deeply flawed election. Violence and abysmal turnout
underscore depths of nation's political crisis as Awami League (AL) would remain in
power translated into an abysmal voter turnout of some 20%, according to early reports.
The results bear little reflection of popular will, and the opposition hopes that the feeble
mandate the government is left with will force Hasina to agree to its terms for another
election in the near future.

4.19. Times of India 49

The deadliest in the country’s history, the Awami League won “a predictable and hollow
victory, which gives it neither a mandate nor an ethical standing to govern effectively.”
The vote raises pressure on the Bangladesh government to hold talks with the opposition.
The turmoil also could lead to radicalisation in a strategic pocket of South Asia.

4.20. Voice of America 50

This was one election in which the counting of votes did not matter because more than
half the seats were uncontested. The election came out exactly as expected. There was
absolutely no doubt about who is going to be the victor and it is very hard to make any
argument that it is a fair election. The opposition called on the government to nullify the
vote. It says low turnout confirmed the election was a farce.

4.21. Wall Street Journal 51

At a polling center in the Dania suburb of Dhaka, an election official said that around
500 people had voted by 2 p.m. Sunday, two hours before polls were set to close. The
center has more than 4,100 registered voters. The election official in charge of voting in
the Dhaka district, said turnout in the capital was just over 22%. These polls may
conform to the letter of the law, but if the goal of a democracy is to give the people the
right to choose their government, it certainly violates the spirit of the law.

4.22. Washington Post 52

Hasina’s ruling Awami League party won one of the most violent elections in the
country’s history, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition
that made the results a foregone conclusion. There is considerable international
skepticism over the legitimacy of the elections. The election raises pressure on Hasina’s
government to hold talks with the opposition.

Page | 21
5. Reactions in Bangladesh
The election was shunned by all the local stakeholders, including political oppositions,
socio- political watchdogs, civil society members, and most importantly, the general
people of Bangladesh. They all boycotted the polls, rejected the results and urged for
holding fresh, free, fair and inclusive elections – through acceptable public participation
– and under non- party caretaker system. While Sheikh Hasina, some other top-tier
Awami League leaders and the election commissioners tried to justify the credibility of
the election results, there were sceptical comments and sharp criticisms even within the
Awami League camp.

5.1. Awami League and Bangladesh Election Commission

“We do not believe that any question might be raised about the election.”
-Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister of Bangladesh and President of Awami League 53

“It is our great achievement to hold the polls in free and fair way despite having
obstacles. Why do not you believe the percentage? Our returning officers sent the
reports and the Commission prepared the percentage as per their reports.”
Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad
Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh 54

“Yes, we cannot say it was a universally acceptable election. The festive atmosphere
was absent and the turnout was ordinary.”
Obaidul Kader
Awami League leader and Communications Minister 55

“Supporters of Awami League candidates such as Tuku, led by his brother, attacked
52 polling centres and rigged votes. I demand the cancellation of the results of those
52 centres and ask for re-election.”
Professor Abu Sayeed
Awami League leader and Former State Minister for Information 56

Page | 22
5.2. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
“I demand immediate cancellation of the farcical elections and urge the government to
quit and reach a compromise for holding a free, fair, peaceful and inclusive election
under a non- party neutral administration. I thank and congratulate the country’s
democracy-loving people and voters for boycotting the farcical and stigmatic
elections.”
Begum Khaleda Zia
Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party- BNP 57

“The people achieved a target by virtually foiling the farcical election. But this is not
the final success. Now an election under the caretaker government is the only
solution.”
Tarique Rahman
Senior Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party- BNP 58

“The country has rejected these farcical elections which were meaningless, laughable
and universally unacceptable.”
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Acting Secretary-General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party- BNP 59

“The government has to rearrange the polls as people have boycotted it.”
Dr M Osman Faruk
Advisor to the Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party- BNP 60

5.3. Other Political Parties

“Only 2.5 per cent of the voters had cast their vote in the elections held on Sunday.”
AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury
Chief of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Former President of Bangladesh 61

“We urge the Prime Minister to take steps for a fresh election through talks, forgetting
all divisions and retributions and it’ll help restore peace.”
Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed
President of Liberal Democratic Party and Former Minister of Bangladesh 62

Page | 23
“The parliamentary polls are deepening and lengthening the existing political crisis in
the country. The security of lives, property and jobs, as well as people’s struggle for
survival will be at risk.”
Dr Kamal Hossain
Constitutional Expert, President of Gonoforum and Former Minister of Bangladesh 63

“Democracy was main spirit of the war of independence in 1971, but the one-sided
election marred democracy.”
Khalequzzaman
General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh 64

5.4. Distinguished Think-Tanks

“The question on everybody’s mind is whether peace and stability will be restored after
the elections. Regrettably, these elections will not bring an end to the violence and
uncertainties. Till participatory, transparent and fair elections are held under a
credible electoral management, peace and stability will hardly return to Bangladesh.”
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya
Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue 65

“Although the elections were constitutional and legal, it is questionable on a political

and ethical perspective. The elections lacked democratic values and practices that
include multi- party participation. There is an open-ended sense of uncertainty now
which is leading to violence and deaths, which is hurting the economy.”
Dr Iftekharuzzaman
Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh 66

“The fact that we are having this sort of sham election is not going to solve our
problems. It will push us to an uncertain future. We will be in uncharted waters.”
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar
Secretary of Citizens for Good Governance 67

“Overall vote cast is less than 10 per cent. I visited many polling centres in Dhaka and
saw only few of voters. The reports I received from across the country from our team
members also confirm that voter turnout across the country was less than 10 per cent.
Some polling agents do not even know the name of the candidates.”
Munira Khan
Chief of the Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (FEMA) 68

Page | 24
6. International Reaction: Organisations and
Countries
While the Election Commission of Bangladesh had invited about 20 countries and
international organisations to oversee the polls, citing that the Bangladesh government
failed to create the necessary conditions for transparent, inclusive and credible elections,
despite many efforts, including most recently under UN auspices, the European Union,
the Commonwealth of Nations, and all the countries declined to send polls observers,
unlike any other national elections held in Bangladesh since 1991.

Once the farcical election concluded, it was rejected by all the international
organisations and countries with no inbound victory greeting for Sheikh Hasina, terming
the election as an unfortunate consequence for the progression of democracy. Below is a
set of representative statements made by various international stakeholders.

6.1. The United Nations

Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon, saddened by the deadly violence that marred
parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, appealed to the political parties to urgently
address the expectations of the country’s people for an inclusive political process. In a
statement issued by his spokesperson, the UN chief expressed sadness at the loss of life
and violent incidents that marred the parliamentary elections, which were characterised
by polarisation and low participation.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon regretted that the parties did not reach the kind of agreements which
could have produced a peaceful, all-inclusive election outcome. He called on all sides to
exercise restraint and ensure first and foremost a peaceful and conducive environment,
where people can maintain their right to assembly and expression. He called on the
political parties to resume meaningful dialogue and to urgently address the expectations
of the people of Bangladesh for an inclusive political process. He said that the UN will
continue to support the country’s democratic processes in accordance with the principles
of inclusiveness, non- violence, reconciliation and dialogue.

6.2. The European Union

According to the Spokesperson of the EU high representative Catherine Ashton: “The
main political forces in Bangladesh have been unable to create the necessary conditions
for transparent, inclusive and credible elections despite many efforts, including most
recently under UN auspices.”

EU Foreign Affairs Spokesman Michael Mann said: “We take note of the elections that
were held in Bangladesh on 5 January. We are following the situation very closely

Page | 25
through our Delegation and through the embassies of our member states in Dhaka. We
strongly condemn the acts of violence which have occurred both on the run up to the
elections and during the elections. Opposition parties boycotted the elections and the
voter turnout was also low. We are calling on political parties to refrain from violence
and to renew efforts to find a political way forward through dialogue.”

6.3. The Commonwealth of Nations

Secretary-General of Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma stated: “The Commonwealth
has been following closely the situation in Bangladesh relating to the parliamentary
elections held on 5 January 2014. The limited levels of participation and the low voter
turnout are disappointing. The acts of violence are deeply troubling and indeed are
unacceptable in response to any political situation.

In the Commonwealth Charter, it is a shared responsibility of governments, political

parties and civil society to uphold and promote democratic culture, including the
inalienable right of individuals to participate in free and fair elections. Therefore, it is
critical that Bangladesh moves quickly to find a path forward through dialogue to a more
inclusive and peaceful political process in which the will of the people can be fully
expressed.”

6.4. United States of America

Marie Harf, Deputy Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson, US
Department of State noted: “The United States is disappointed by the recent
Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. With more than half of the seats uncontested and
most of the remainder offering only token opposition, the results of the just-concluded
elections do not appear to credibly express the will of the Bangladeshi people.

While it remains to be seen what form the new government will take, United States
commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh remains undiminished. To that end,
we encourage the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in
immediate dialogue to find a way to hold as soon as possible elections that are free, fair,
peaceful, and credible, reflecting the will of the Bangladeshi people.”

6.5. United Kingdom

Senior Foreign Office Minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi pointed: “The 10th
Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh see the Awami League return to government with
over half of Bangladesh’s constituencies uncontested. Like others in the International
Community the UK believes that the true mark of a mature, functioning democracy is
peaceful, credible elections that express the genuine will of the voters. It is therefore

Page | 26
disappointing that voters in more than half the constituencies did not have the
opportunity to express their will at the ballot box and that turnout in most other
constituencies was low.

All Bangladesh’s political parties share a clear and unequivocal responsibility to work
together to strengthen democratic accountability as an urgent priority and to build
the willingness and capacity to hold future participatory elections without the fear of
intimidation or reprisals.”

6.6. France
Spokesperson of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “We call on all parties to
demonstrate calm and restraint, and encourage the main political forces to resume
dialogue within the framework of the country’s democratic institutions.”

6.7. Germany
Statement of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany said: “The Federal Government of
Germany has noted with regret the circumstances surrounding the (10th) parliamentary
elections in Bangladesh. These elections are an extremely poor reflection of the
electorate’s will. The Federal Government urges the Bangladesh Government and all
political parties to overcome their differences in the interest of the country and to work
together to bring about inclusive, peaceful and credible democratic elections.”

6.8. Canada
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird stated: “Canada welcomes the major parties’
willingness to consider holding a new national election and urges all parties to reach an
agreement soon that would allow the next election to be truly participatory, with results
that all Bangladeshis will see as credible. We condemn this violence in the strongest
terms, particularly the senseless attacks on the most vulnerable citizens -- children,
women, and religious and ethnic minorities.”

6.9. Japan
Japanese Ambassador Shiro Sadoshima articulated: “Japan is aware that the people of
Bangladesh have strong aspiration for making political choice based on their own free
will without fear of violence. Japan believes that to preserve and further nurture the
achievements of nation-building over the past decades since its independence, the
political leadership in Bangladesh, regardless of their positions, should immediately

Page | 27
initiate serious efforts to provide Bangladeshi people with a voting opportunity for
making political choice in a manner that responds to their aspiration.”

6.10. Australia
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop noted: “While the elections were
constitutionally valid, less than half the parliamentary seats were contested and voter
turnout was low. It is vital that the people of Bangladesh are able to express their
democratic will and exercise real choice. The government and the opposition must take
up their shared responsibility to hold a new, fully contested and transparent election as
soon as possible.”

6.11. International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Michael Svetlik, Vice President of Programmes at IFES stated: “Diplomatic efforts to
reach a compromise was futile and the Prime Minister’s Party was determined to vote.
The opposition’s boycott and election-related violence put the legitimacy of the result in
doubt and the country on course for increased political conflict.”

6.12. Human Rights Watch

Asia Director of Human Rights Watch Brad Adams said: “Many governments issued
statements criticising the conduct of the election and called for credible elections to
resolve the ongoing crisis. The ruling party keeps saying it welcomes dialogue with the
opposition, but in light of the ongoing crackdowns, it is impossible to take that statement
seriously. To resolve the current political deadlock, all parties have to make
commitments to end political violence, while the international community needs to ramp
up pressure for a political settlement that involves a credible election.”

6.13. Asian Human Rights Commission

The official statement of Asian Human Rights Commission stated: Prior to the vote-
counting, polling agents of independent candidates were allegedly forced to sign on
blank result sheets. In at least 9 constituencies, according to media reports, the EC
declared the government's preferred candidate as “winners” although they were found
“defeated' in the original results collected from the centres. The international community
is not fooled by the statistics engineered by the Election Commission, a pawn in the
hands of the Sheikh Hasina government. The conversation between Sheikh Hasina and
her Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu prior to the Prime Minister’s Press
Conference on January 6 that has been broadcasted live and is available online tells the
truth about how fake this election was.
Page | 28
The fake election was disappointing for new voters, who could not enjoy their right to
elect chosen representatives. They have learned a fact early – that their participation in
the one in five year democratic ritual does not mean anything to power-mad politicians.
The aspirations of the struggling people of Bangladesh have been quashed. The
obstinacy of Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime is the only winner. This fake election
exposes the intellectual bankruptcy of a political party, which has the honour of being an
integral of part the history of Bangladesh. It also exposes how fragile is Bangladesh as a
state, one that lacks credible institutions to fulfil the basic needs of its 160 million
population.

6.14. Amnesty International

Researcher of Amnesty International Abbas Faiz noted: “It is time for the government in
Bangladesh to respect human rights. There has to be a government that is keen to ensure
that every aspect of concern about human rights is dealt with in an impartial and
independent manner. And unfortunately, it has failed to show that it will actually remain
independent and impartial in relation to dealing with human rights issues.”

Election rigging in newspaper cartoons [New Age]

Page | 29
7. Way Forward: Non-Party Caretaker
Government
At a time when the democracy in Bangladesh is in the verge of crumple, the people of
the country appreciate the support of the global community. It is imperative for all
international stakeholders to note that the rule of law and good governance that
underwent resurrection in Bangladesh in 1991 have been slapped and ruptured by the
Awami League government under the tyrannical leadership of Sheikh Hasina. In essence,
the abolition of the non-party caretaker government system from the Constitution was
the final benchmark that shut the only way of welcoming the change of power in a
proven democratic way. Given the corrupt practices of the Awami League regime and
the atrocities, brutalities and barbarisms they have shown to the opposition and the mass
people, their choice indeed became limited only to scrapping the provisions of the
non-party caretaker government from the Constitution followed by an engineering of
the 5th January farcical election in order to grab the power.

7.1. Background of the Non-Party Caretaker Government System

We must not forget that it is the non-party caretaker government system for which
Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina in collaboration with their ex-ally Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami disabled and destabilised the country with intolerable destructions
during 1995-96 (with 173 days’ strikes that included a continuous 39 day spell of the
same leaving at least 6 people killed by the forces and Awami hooligans). The system
was later incorporated into the Constitution of Bangladesh by the then BNP government
by virtue of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, who by graciously doing so saved
the country from the anarchy of Awami League. In essence, a non-party caretaker
government was intended to operate for a limited period of 90 days only to conduct the
national elections with no authority to pursue any policy matter.

Even prior to the formal incorporation of the non-party caretaker government system into
the Constitution, it was a non-partisan interim government (akin to the caretaker
government) who conducted the parliamentary election of Bangladesh in 1991, at a time
of a critical political transformation when the military dictator Hussain Muhammad
Ershad had been ousted and the electoral democracy was restored in Bangladesh. This
was done unanimously through a political negotiation and agreement. The non-party
caretaker government system achieved a constitutional approval on 26th March 1996 at
the 6th parliament and eventually gained huge confidence among all the Bangladeshis
living inside and outside the country. From June 1996 to December 2008, all the national
elections were held under a caretaker government and were reasonably accepted by the
contesting parties as well as the members of the general public.

Page | 30
Regrettably, Sheikh Hasina repealed the provision of the non-party caretaker government
from the Constitution using her two-third parliamentary majority against the willingness
of the Bangladeshi people, and on the pretext of a controversial and politicised Supreme
Court judgment that too manifestly recommends for at least two forthcoming national
elections to be held under a non-party caretaker government.

7.2. Non-Party Caretaker Government as the Only Solution

As opposed to Sheikh Hasina’s stance, everyone in Bangladesh from all walks of life
including legal experts from the judiciary, believe that a free, fair and credible national
election can be held only under a non-party caretaker government, not with Sheikh
Hasina as the Prime Minister of the country during the election.

The non-party caretaker government system that was a unique feature of Bangladesh’s
democracy was in place for about fifteen years to oversee elections in a country that had
a history of military coups, political assassinations and electoral frauds. Historically, the
democracy has struggled in Bangladesh with an unstable political environment and
appeared to be a whirligig. The caretaker government is a concept that was originally
inspired, negotiated and agreed politically, but eventually eased the passage of
democracy in Bangladesh through the support of the common people. The people in
Bangladesh believe that the farcical election of 5th January was possible only because
Sheikh Hasina conducted it under her own politicised administration instead of a non-
party caretaker government, which in turn, allowed her to go away with whatever actions
she wanted to take and whatever election stories or data she wanted to create.

In the recently concluded election, Awami League had won long before the vote casting
started on the election-day. But the rest of Bangladesh, covering as much as 90% of the
population, has lost badly with a long-lasting effect, as the country’s social, political and
economic systems are likely to collapse under the Sheikh Hasina regime that values
power over people, dictatorship over democracy and demolition over development. In
the absence of the appropriate international intervention and actions, Bangladesh will
face the serious risk of repeating the antagonistic climate that surrounded during chaotic
2006-07 bringing the country to the brink of the outright army interference.

Following the emergence of the recent political unrest in Bangladesh foreseeing a more
devastating future, only a political agreement between the conflicting parties, cancelling
the farcical poll results of 5th January, and re-enforcing a non-party caretaker
government system functioning during the upcoming national election, could bring peace
in the country.

Page | 31
8. References
1
Bangladesh: Authoritarian obstinacy wins,
democracy loses |
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1401/S00
076/bangladesh-authoritarian-obstinacy-wins-
democracy-loses.htm
2
Bangladesh's ruling Awami League wins
boycotted poll |
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-
25618108
3
Bangladeshi opposition parties vow to
continue protests as violence mars polls |
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/
05/bangladesh
4
Bangladesh: Ruling Awami League wins
election marred by boycott and violence |
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a
sia/bangladeshs-ruling-awami-league-wins-
election-marred-by-boycott-and-violence-
9041436.html
5
Low Turnout in Bangladesh Elections Amid
Boycott and Violence |
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/world/a
sia/boycott-and-violence-mar-elections-in-
bangladesh.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=1
6
Bangladesh ruling party set to win poll hit by
violence, boycott |
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/01/05/uk-
bangladesh-election-idUKBREA0405020140105
7
Bangladeshi Voters Lose Out in Deeply
Flawed Election |
http://world.time.com/2014/01/06/banglades
h-elections-marred-by-violence-and-low-
turnout/#ixzz2prxlyE9L
8
Contested Bangladesh Vote Fuels Violence |
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014
24052702304887104579302393775941028
Page | 32
9
Bangladesh ruling party leads after one of the
most violent elections in the country's history |
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/01/06/
bangladesh-ruling-party-leads-after-one-most-
violent-elections-in-country/
10
Bangladesh prime minister: 'Elections were
legitimate' |
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/
asia/bangladesh/10553249/Bangladesh-prime-
minister-Elections-were-legitimate.html
11
Bangladesh PM Defends Re-Election Win |
http://www.voanews.com/content/banglades
h-pm-defends-reelection-win/1824493.html
12
None of 2008’s int’l observers confirm polls
monitoring | http://old-
archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2013-
12-27&nid=78235#.VEAb2BZi-no
13
Press freedom in Bangladesh: "In the best
interest of the media" |
http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/201
3/05/press-freedom-bangladesh
14
Editors demand Mahmudur's release |
http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/05/18
/editors-demand-mahmudur-s-release
15
31 candidates withdraw from race |
http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/31-
candidates-withdraw-from-race-5673
16
25 candidates call it quits on election day |
http://old-
archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2014-
01-06&nid=79441#.VECLUxZi-no
17
Little effort to better turnout |
http://www.thedailystar.net/little-effort-to-
better-turnout-5646
18
Lower turnout in Narayanganj |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/j
an/06/lower-turnout-narayanganj
19
An MP's lesson on rigging votes |
http://www.thedailystar.net/an-mps-lesson-
on-rigging-votes-5235
20
Child voters for Shahara! |
http://www.thedailystar.net/child-voters-for-
shahara-5647
21
Polls-rigging allegation against Tuku's son |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/20
14/jan/05/polls-rigging-allegation-against-tuku
22
Low in the day, high at night |
http://www.thedailystar.net/70pc-vote-cast-
in-lalmonirhat-5639
23
Not a vote in 41 centres |
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/not-a-
vote-in-41-centres-5643
24
No voter? Have a shave! |
http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/no-
voter-have-a-shave-5671
25
Awami League scrambles to increase turnout
|
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/j
an/06/awami-league-scrambles-increase-
turnout
26
Awami League men oust independent
candidate’s agents in Khulna 3 |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/j
an/06/awami-league-men-oust-independent-
candidate%E2%80%99s-agents-khulna-3
27
Fake ballots put ruling party in question |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/j
an/06/fake-ballots-put-ruling-party-question
Page | 33
28
3 poll officials caught while stamping ballot
papers |
http://www.thedailystar.net/country/3-poll-
officials-caught-while-stamping-ballot-papers-
5591
29
Low turnout, violence mar polls |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/j
an/06/low-turnout-violence-mar-polls
30
Violence, Boycott Mar Elections in
Bangladesh |
http://web.archive.org/web/20140105070132
/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireSto
ry/bangladesh-vote-stem-wave-violence-
21419620
31
Violent Bangladesh poll 'not credible' |
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2
014/01/violent-bangladesh-poll-not-credible-
201417153340105129.html
32
Bangladesh's bitter election boycott |
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-
25588564
33
Bangladesh's ruling Awami League wins
boycotted poll |
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-
25618108
34
Bangladesh Needs Real Elections |
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014
-01-06/bangladesh-needs-real-elections
35
Bangladesh votes amid violence, opposition
boycott |
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/05/world/asia
/bangladesh-election/
36
THE BIGGER PICTURE: India is losing its clout
in South Asia |
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indian
ews/article-2535478/THE-BIGGER-PICTURE-
India-losing-clout-South-Asia.html
37
Bangladesh election: The ritual is over, so
what next? |
http://www.dawn.com/news/1078964/bangla
desh-election-the-ritual-is-over-so-what-next
38
Opinion: Bangladesh election 'deeply
worrying' | http://www.dw.de/opinion-
bangladesh-election-deeply-worrying/a-
17343721
39
Awami League sweeps Bangladesh polls; 21
killed in violence |
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/
2014-01-06/news/45918749_1_opposition-
parties-election-oversight-awami-league
40
Bangladesh’s election: Another beating |
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21593
476-sheikh-hasina-plans-hang-office-after-
electoral-farce-another-beating
41
Bangladeshi opposition parties vow to
continue protests as violence mars polls |
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/
05/bangladesh
42
No real winners in Bangladesh |
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-
opinion/no-real-winners-in-
bangladesh/article5555778.ece
43
Pressure on B'desh PM after walkover re-
election |
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-
news/pressure-on-b-desh-pm-after-walkover-
re-election/article1-1170216.aspx
44
At least 21 dead as violence surrounds
controversial Bangladeshi election |
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a
Page | 34
sia/violence-surrounds-controversial-
bangladeshi-election-9040159.html
45
Low Turnout in Bangladesh Elections Amid
Boycott and Violence |
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/world/a
sia/boycott-and-violence-mar-elections-in-
bangladesh.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=0
46
Bangladesh ruling party set to win poll hit by
violence, boycott |
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/01/05/uk-
bangladesh-election-idUKBREA0405020140105
47
Bangladesh prime minister: 'Elections were
legitimate' |
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/
asia/bangladesh/10553249/Bangladesh-prime-
minister-Elections-were-legitimate.html
48
Bangladeshi Voters Lose Out in Deeply
Flawed Election |
http://world.time.com/2014/01/06/banglades
h-elections-marred-by-violence-and-low-
turnout/
49
Int'l media slam 'bloody', 'shunned' elections
| http://www.thedailystar.net/intl-media-
slam-bloody-shunned-elections-5769
50
Bangladesh Election Results Leave
Opposition Cold |
http://www.voanews.com/content/banglades
h-election-results-leave-opposition-
cold/1824057.html
51
Contested Bangladesh Vote Fuels Violence |
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014
24052702304887104579302393775941028
52
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_
pacific/bangladeshs-ruling-party-leads-after-
violentvote/2014/01/05/857f0c34-7682-11e3-
a647-a19deaf575b3_story.html
53
PM orders stern action to stop violence |
http://www.thedailystar.net/online/pm-
orders-stern-action-to-stop-violence-5685
54
CEC: Polls a great achievement |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/20
14/jan/08/holding-polls-free-and-fair-way-our-
great-achievement-claims-cec
55
Bangladesh ruling party wins country’s 'most
violent' election |
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1399
058/bangladesh-ruling-party-wins-countrys-
most-violent-election
56
6 independent, JSD candidates boycott polls
| http://www.thedailystar.net/6-independent-
jsd-candidates-boycott-polls-5571
57
Khaleda asks govt to quit, hold fresh polls |
http://www.thefinancialexpress-
bd.com/2014/01/06/12524
58
‘Movement will continue’ |
http://bdnews24.com/politics/2014/01/06/mo
vement-will-continue
59
Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina offers
olive branch to Khaleda Zia |
http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-
asia/bangladesh-premier-sheikh-hasina-offers-
olive-branch-to-khaleda-zia_901750.html
60
BNP demands polls cancellation, calls 48-hr
hartal |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/2014/jan/05/b
np-calls-48-hour-hartal
61
NDF, CPB, BSD term PM’s remark childish |
http://old-
Page | 35
archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2014-
01-08&nid=79670#.VED6QMuSwno
62
18-party threatens to continue movement |
http://old-
archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2014-
01-07&nid=79568#.VED7IMuSwno
63
Gono forum asks government to postpone
polls |
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/j
an/03/gono-forum-asks-government-
postpone-polls
64
NDF, CPB, BSD term PM’s remark childish |
http://old-
archives.newagebd.net/detail.php?date=2014-
01-08&nid=79670
65
Bangladesh holds ‘shunned’ polls |
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140106/jsp/f
rontpage/story_17756317.jsp#.VEDyGBZi-nq
66
Violent Bangladesh poll 'not credible' |
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2
014/01/violent-bangladesh-poll-not-credible-
201417153340105129.html
67
Opposition Party Boycotting Bangladesh
Election |
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/world/a
sia/bangladesh-election.html
68
Fair Election Monitoring Allaince (FEMA):
Less than 10% voter turnout |
http://progressbangladesh.com/fair-election-
monitoring-allaince-fema-less-than-10-voter-
turnout/