If a free and fair election is a sine qua non for democracy, that election is knocking at the door. The Awami league- led ruling alliance headed by Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina is about to complete its two consecutive terms in office (10 years in total) by the end of the year. It is in all likelihood that the next general election is going to held sometime in December this year.
Over the last 27 years (1991-2018), the country has gone through a more or less democratic process (except for a two year military backed care take government in between) choosing either the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or Awami League to rule the country. As has been the case, people had chosen either BNP or Awami League to run the country, not because they had unfailing love or faith in them but because they had no other alternative choice, worth mentioning.
The scenario has not yet changed. It is because of the same reason as mentioned above that this time also they will have to choose either Awami League or BNP (if BNP contests) to look after them for another five years or so. The other political parties, mostly by name and dependent purely on electronic or print media, not on people, have, for obvious reasons, not yet been able to prove themselves as an alternate choice for the electorate.
The Awami League, as the party in power, will have to account for their performance over the years justifying why the public should vote them to power again. They got to be up and doing in their effort to remain in power for the third consecutive term overcoming the anti-incumbency factor. They will have to elaborate their achievements to convince the electorate that they are the right and in all fairness the best choice in the prevailing circumstances. How successfully they will be able to do that is their matter.
The Awami league government has done well in many fields, miracle in some. The power and energy is one such sector they can be rightly proud of. When they took over power in 2009, the country's total electricity production capacity was hardly 4000 megawatt. It is now more than 15000 megawatt. The increase of eleven thousand megawatt of electricity in just about nine years, that also for a poor country like Bangladesh, is a miracle.
The construction of Padma Bridge from the country's own resource, overcoming all the conspiracies and obstacles from home and abroad, is another mega project, the Awami League- led alliance government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in particular, can rightly take credit of. The Padma Bridge is no more a dream for the people of the south. Its construction work is underway in full swing. The courage, determination and trust in people, Sheikh Hasina has shown in undertaking this project is a wonder in itself.
One must realise that violence, political or otherwise, religious or ethnic extremism, human rights violation, illegal drug business - all these are the obstacles we have to overcome if we have to march on the road to democracy and more so to peace and prosperity. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's zero-tolerance against patronage of insurgency inside Bangladesh; her firm stand against terrorism, religious extremism and human rights violations during the 71 liberation war is no mean an achievement people can easily ignore.
The country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth has been phenomenal. Per capita income has more than doubled in less than a decade. Poverty alleviation has been remarkable. 60 per cent people of the country lived below poverty line. It is now less than 40 per cent. Mother and child mortality rate has sharply declined. Enrollment rate in primary education is nearing hundred per cent. Literacy rate is all time high. One hundred per cent literacy is no more a day dream.
Food production in the country has been enviable. The country is now self sufficient in food. The country which used to import 4.0 to 5.0 million (40 to 50 lakh) tons of food grain every year is now poised to export food grains. There was a time when people in the villages used to suffer from acute food crisis for a particular period of time of the year. The situation is no more like that. Nobody is dying of hunger any more.
All these are the positive indicators of development index leading the country from the least Developed Country to a Developing Country status for which Sheikh Hasina can justifiably ask for a fresh mandate to rule the country for another term, if not more. They can rightly claim that it is for the continuity of the massive development work they have undertaken that they should be voted to power again.
As it appears, the election is going to be held in time and under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina as the head of an interim government as per the constitution of the country.
Therefore, it will be in the interest of BNP's existence as a significant political force (as it claims off and on) that it should contest the next general election without any hesitation. It should not repeat the same mistake it made by boycotting the last general election. BNP must realise that because of its boycotting the last election and thereby staying away from parliament, its popularity and strength as a political party has substantially diminished over the years.
BNP's boycott of the last election and attempt to subvert it by resorting to extreme violence including burning of people alive had not been taken by people with grace. It should not make that mistake again. It should contest the next election in all circumstances to avoid the risk of total extinction as a political force. Even if it cannot win the election, it can establish its position as a strong opposition party and play a constructive role in and outside the parliament to help flourish democratic practice in the country.
The Awami League, on its part, must not fail to realise that people want a free, fair and credible election. So do our development partners. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Awami League, as a ruling party, to ensure that the Election Commission, as an independent constitutional body, conducts a free, fair and credible election.
The Awami league stalwarts should also keep in mind that they may be well ahead of BNP or any other political party in the election race because of their credible performance in many a field but it is not all without reservation. The people, especially those living in the urban areas, are not as happy with them as they would have expected.
There are some genuine reasons for that too. Lack of sufficient public transport, poorly- built or badly maintained roads, unbearable traffic jam, water logging, scarcity of gas and safe drinking water are some of the problems the urban population has been badly suffering from. Corruption is another malaise from which people could not find any way out. Apart from the anti- incumbency factor, all these issues might as well make some dent in the Awami League vote banks, especially in the urban constituencies. The Awami League had better look into these problems with top priority.
The political parties must also realise that people do not want the corrupt and hoodlums to reign in the political arena any more. They got to be careful in choosing the right candidate for nomination. They got to understand that the road to democracy is no way less thorny than before.
Capt. Hussain Imam is a retired merchant navy officer.
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