No 'caretaker' in sight ahead of Bangladesh elections
National elections in Bangladesh are set for the beginning of next year, but the stand-off between the two leading political coalitions continues. Many ordinary people favor dialogue to solve the crisis.
Political trouble
According to Bangladesh's constitution, the current session of parliament will be dissolved at the end of October. The Awami League (AL)-led government has declared it will dissolve parliament before the end of this month, in line with the country's constitution, but that it will nonetheless oversee the upcoming elections, which are expected to be held in January next year.
Stand-off between main parties
Despite calls by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia (shown here left), the government has refused to amend the constitution and instate a caretaker government, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (shown on the right) insisting the current government will oversee the polls.
UN promotes dialogue
The United Nations (UN) has tried to initiate a dialogue between the two leading political coalitions. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke by telephone with PM Hasina and opposition leader Zia in August. The Secretary-General urged them to hold talks to seek a peaceful resolution of the ongoing political crisis.
Hasina wishes discussion in parliament
Despite calls from the opposition, the AL-led government has refused to amend the constitution and re-instate the provision of a caretaker government. PM Hasina said she would, however, welcome an opposition proposal to debate the situation in parliament.
No to AL-led oversight
The BNP has called for a rally in Dhaka on October 25, in which Zia is expected to ask supporters to push for non-government oversight of the election. During a conversation with Ban Ki-moon, the BNP leader welcomed the possibility of dialogue to overcome the crisis, but she also made it clear that "the opposition would not go to polls supervised by the AL-led government."
What is a caretaker government?
The main function of a specially appointed caretaker government (CTG) is to create an environment in which elections can be held in a free and fair manner. Bangladesh introduced this system in 1991 but the AL-led government abolished the system through a constitutional amendment in 2009.
Germany supports dialogue
Germany also considers dialogue to be the only way to break the deadlock between the main political factions in Bangladesh. In an Interview with the Dhaka Courier, the German Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr. Albrecht Conze, said "dialogue is the only way to overcome the existing political stalemate."
International Crimes Tribunal
Another major issue of contention is the tribunal set up by the Hasina government in 2009 to bring to justice those responsible for committing war crimes in the country's 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. The opposition says the trials are politically-motivated and aim at settling old scores rather than meting out justice.
Facing criticism
The war crimes tribunal is also facing criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said the trial of former Jamaat-e-Islami party Chief Ghulam Azam was "deeply flawed." The prosecution filed a contempt petition against the organization. The court handed down its eighth sentence on October 9. Abdul Alim received life in prison for genocide, looting, arson and other crimes against humanity.
Track record
The ruling coalition has shown a measure of success in sectors such as power generation and agricultural production. The decision of the World Bank to pull out of the financing of the Padma Bridge project after talk of corruption by those involved has overshadowed the other successes of the Hasina government. Many fear this will have an impact on the upcoming elections.