INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
helicopter on Monday amid a huge uprising
Thursday, has called for elections within months
Though Bangladesh went to the polls in January, the last credible, truly competitive election was in 2008
The students who led the protests against the toppled government had no chance to cast a meaningful vote
Turnout this year was rock bottom, with the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) once more boycotting the contest
the heir to a powerful political dynasty
In 1990, she co-led a mass pro-democracy movement with Khaleda Zia, the leader of the BNP and widow of another political leader, ending
In power, she won admiration for stabilising the country, tackling jihadist groups and growing the economy, largely through the garment
The rate of extreme poverty halved
But her rule became increasingly oppressive, with extrajudicial killings and the jailing of political opponents and journalists
There was growing anger about corruption, especially as the economy foundered and living costs soared in the wake of the pandemic.With youth
unemployment at 40%, the reintroduction of government job quotas for descendants of those who fought in the Bangladesh independence war in
She angered them further by referring to them with a derogatory slur akin to calling them traitors
An internet shutdown hit businesses and left citizens without access to their money
A vicious crackdown, which killed hundreds and saw more than 10,000 arrested, inflamed the uprising instead of suppressing it.The interim
government should now ensure the immediate release of political prisoners and launch an investigation into the deadly violence
Restoring security is also critical, especially following attacks on Hindu homes, shops and temples.Renewing the old, failed political
system which produced first alternating rule by the Awami League and the BNP, and then single-party domination, will be a trickier task
says he wants the new generation to step forward in politics as they have in protest
He could and should play a key part in ensuring that transition
successful democratic renewal
There is serious concern that the army could entrench itself in power again, though some think it prefers to operate behind the scenes
It should establish a clear roadmap towards elections now
Bangladesh was unique among 30 countries polled for the Open Society Barometer last year, with more respondents prioritising civil and
political rights (36%) than economic and social rights (28%)
Its people want a real say at last
They should get it.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by
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This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
