Bangladesh elections

The overwhelming feeling about Sunday’s general election in Bangladesh is that it was a farce. In a result more reminiscent of a one-party dictatorship than a democracy, incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League won 288 of the 300 parliamentary seats contested. Election Day was marred by violence that killed 17 people and widespread allegations of rigging and state intimidation. The opposition, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has rejected the results and called for a fresh vote. Needless to say, that demand is not going to be entertained. For most observers, this election is the culmination of a concerted effort by Hasina to consolidate her power through the most repressive means possible.

In September, the government passed a digital security act that imposed prison sentences for “propaganda”, a law that has inevitably been used to crack down on dissent and silence Hasina’s critics. The three-month long imprisonment of photographer Shahidul Alam for making “provocative” statements about the road safety protests that swept the country in August showed just how little freedom is now available in the country. Hasina has also been accused of systematically destroying all opposition, be it in the BNP, the independent media or even individuals speaking out on social media. And this election may be the final straw for anyone worried about the state of democracy in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina will also likely get away without much real resistance. Not only has the opposition been weakened, Hasina has also presided over unprecedented economic growth. It has become a hallmark of authoritarian states to present a false trade-off between development and political freedom. But the performance on the country’s economy has certainly made it easier for the Awami League to undermine democratic norms. The government arrested more than 10,000 people in the run-up to the polls and opposition polling agents were kept out of polling booths. But the Election Commission has given the election a clean bill. Bangladesh is part of a global trend where dictatorial rulers are using elections to give their tyrannical ways legitimacy. From Viktor Orban in Hungary to Bolsonaro in Brazil and Donald Trump in the US, would-be dictators are promising a strong economy while demonising anyone who dare oppose them. Economic growth of this kind will be ephemeral but the damage done to democracy is lasting.