AL to win by majority, says EIU

FE Team | Published: December 13, 2018 00:07:38

The Economist Intelligence Unit, or EIU, expects the ruling Awami League will return to power in the Dec 30 parliamentary election, report agencies.
In the latest country briefing note, the EIU, the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, said the party has overseen solid economic growth and its reelection will be assisted by patronage at local level.
It also forecasts that the country's economic growth would remain robust and real GDP will grow by an average of 7.7 per cent per year in 2018/19-2022/23, bolstered by strong increases in private consumption and gross fixed investment.
The report also specifically mentions the reputation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as being the key factor in election. It states that Sheikh Hasina remains the most popular candidate, according to numerous localopinionpolls.
It adds that that the country's impressive record economic growth and socio-economic development under the Awami League administration, coupled with a lack of an effective opposition election campaign, will be enough to fend off any challenge posed by BNP or Jatiya Oikya Front more broadly.
The report adds that a win for Awami League will be important in sustaining foreign investment, and will also support the administration's drive to expand and deepen private sector participation in the economy.
Following such a win, Bangladesh is expected to continue to exploit its strategically important location on the Bay of Bengal to extract concessions and economic assistance from India, China and Japan,said the report.
But Bangladesh's relations with Myanmar will remain tense in the medium term owing to the Rohingya refugee crisis which will remain severe, at least in the early part of the forecast period, it added.
The EIU is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders. For 60 years it has been a source of information on business developments, economic and political trends, government regulations and corporate practice worldwide.