In a scathing report on the recent elections, London-based magazine Economist has predicted that the Bangladeshi Army is highly unlikely to overthrow Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former opposition leader Khaleda Zia.
The report titled “Bangladesh’s election: Another beating” also claims that Hasina has “sweetened” the armed forces with other incentives such as the UN peacekeeping missions and Russian weapons.
It reads: “At home, the Bangladeshi army is unlikely to repeat its futile effort in 2007 to banish both the atrocious begums, Mrs Zia and Sheikh Hasina, from politics altogether. The army made a mess of its attempt at governing, in 2007-08.
“Sheikh Hasina also benefits from having sweetened the armed forces with lucrative UN peacekeeping duties and promises of Russian weapons and Chinese submarines that should encourage them to remain in their barracks in the coming months.”
It also points out that though the government has stated a 40% turnout in the January 5 elections, others believe it is much less than that. It quotes a “close adviser” to Hasina as saying it is a “trillion-dollar question” how she will be able to carry on with the current situation given the violence that has ensued in the build-up to the elections.
The report also mentions about the silence of international bodies on the elections, claiming: “On January 6, American, British and other governments lamented the violence and the flawed election in equal measure. Yet none has gone so far as to say that Sheikh Hasina’s victory, and thus her government, is illegitimate. Outsiders could threaten to cut aid or trade benefits [especially valuable duty-free access for clothes to the EU]. But they will be wary of undermining laudable anti-poverty efforts.”
It concludes that what the BNP has to offer will have a large influence on what the next step will be by the government. “Much depends on what sort of leadership the opposition can offer – in particular, whether it can turn its popular refusal to take part in a flawed election into a wider protest calling for new and fair polls,” it reads.
The article would be published on Saturday, although the online version is accessible since Friday evening.
