From Rahman vs Rahman to Hasina vs Zia: A look back at Bangladesh's tumultuous election history
Bangladesh elections 2024: As opposition outcry, strikes, and bans erupt in the run-up to the Bangladesh elections, wherein incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a fourth consecutive, and a fifth overall term in office, a nation of 170 million people prepare for Bangladesh's country’s 12th general election. Opposition parties in Bangladesh, especially Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh National Party (BNP) has sought Hasina's resignation, and demanded a caretaker government. On Hasina's refusal to follow through, the BNP has chosen to boycott the elections.
An unfortunate alleged arson, where a bus caught on fire killing four Bangladeshis did not help the situation either. However, since the formation of Bangladesh in 1971 when it broke away from Pakistan, Dhaka has rarely seen a peaceful election. Only four of Bangladesh’s 11 elections have been considered to be “free and fair", a condition the opposition in Bangladesh is seeking and claims Hasina's government cannot guarantee.
Most of national elections in Bangladesh has been mired in violence, protests and allegations of vote rigging. Let's take a look at all troubled Bangladesh elections After overseeing the breakaway of Bangladesh from Pakistan, the ruling Awami League, chaired by independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, conducted the country’s first-ever elections on March 7, 1973. Awami League reportedly kidnapped opposition leaders.
The party then won 293 of the 300 seats in parliament. Those polls marked the beginning of autocratic rule in Bangladesh. In 1974, Mujibur Rahman banned all opposition parties, turning Bangladesh into a one-party state.
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