Voting has ended in Bangladesh's general election, which was hit by violence, voting irregularities and rigging allegations. PM Sheikh Hasina is widely expected to win a historic but controversial fourth term.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Nath
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Polling stations have closed in Bangladesh's general election that is widely expected to hand a third straight term to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Unofficial results are expected to be out by Monday morning.
The election took place following a weekslong campaign that was dominated by deadly violence and allegations of a crackdown on thousands of opposition activists. Opposition supporters said their workers faced attacks and intimidation, including shootings and arrests in the run-up to the poll. Authorities deployed more than 700,000 troops and security personnel to maintain order during the vote.
Despite beefed up security, at least 12 people were reportedly killed in clashes on election day. Three men were shot dead by security forces while eight others died in clashes between activists from the ruling Awami League party and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), police said Sunday.
Voting irregularities
Some voters complained they could not cast their ballots due to technical problems.
"I came to the polling station around 7:45 am to cast my vote, but I couldn't do so as I couldn't find my serial number on the list. I sent an SMS to the election commission to receive my number but did not get any response," Mohibullah, a voter in Dhaka, told DW.
Local media reported that the opposition Bangladesh National Party's "polling agents" (who monitor the voting process on behalf of their party) are missing from the voting centers. Former PM Khaleda Zia's BNP claimed that many of its "polling agents" had been arrested before election day.
Squeezed between India and Myanmar, Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with a population of more than 160 million people. But Dhaka — a megacity of 14 million people — appeared deserted ahead of election day. Shopping malls were closed and public transport was suspended. The government imposed a ban on motorcycles, a commonly used means of transport for the majority of residents. Mobile phone and internet services were also shut down without any prior notice.
The government set up more than 42,000 polling centers across the country, with more than 104 million Bangladeshis eligible to cast their vote, nearly one-fourth of whom were eligible to vote for the first time.
Authorities also deployed more than 50,000 troops across the country as fears of Islamist attacks remain high in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation.
While Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party enjoyed a free hand to campaign for the crucial vote, the country's main opposition party, the BNP, has claimed that more than 10,500 of its active members have been arrested since the election schedule was announced in November.
At least 28 BNP candidates were injured during the election campaign, which turned violent in many parts of the country. Two BNP members were also killed in clashes with ruling party supporters.
Hasina has led the Awami League party since 1980. One of the country's two largest parties, it has been in power since 2008. Hasina's main opponent is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, leader of the BNP. The BNP boycotted the last national election in 2014.
Zia is currently incarcerated on corruption charges, which her backers say are politically motivated. She has also been disqualified to run in the election due to her legal issues.
"The government wants a one-sided election. It has arrested thousands of our party members on false charges in the past few weeks. Many of our nominated polling agents have also been arrested," said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP's senior joint secretary.
Both Zia and Hasina have served as the prime minister of Bangladesh at some point since democracy returned to the country in 1990. The founder of modern Bangladesh, Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated with most of his family members in a military coup on August 15, 1975. The country spent 15 years under military rule after the assassination and, although democracy was restored in 1990, the political scene remains volatile.
'International community has chosen to look the other way'
The United Nations, the United States and European Union called for a "peaceful, credible and inclusive" general election in Bangladesh, but some experts are of the view that the international community did not use its clout to ensure fair elections in the country.
Fewer than 200 international observers monitored the Sunday vote, leaving the door open for rigging. In comparison, the 2008 election saw around 600 international election observers participating in the process.
Shahidul Alam: 'Freedom is essential to civilization'
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"I am not satisfied with the role of the international community with respect to the election in Bangladesh. Although they have rightly praised Hasina for her administration's role in dealing with the Rohingya crisis, they have wrongly decided to support a 'dictator,' which is probably a convenient thing to do," Shahidul Alam, an award-winning photographer, told DW.
"The support for democracy is rhetorical; in reality the international community has done very little to ensure it," said Alam, who was recently released from jail after spending over 100 days behind bars for supporting an anti-government student protest.
"Because Hasina has delivered on some of the things that are important for the West, namely the war on terror and economic interests, the international community has chosen to look the other way," Alam said.
Student deaths spark massive protests in Bangladesh
Angered by the deaths of two teenagers in a road accident, tens of thousands of students nationwide have taken to the streets in protest. They are demanding safe roads and harsh punishments for traffic violators.
Image: bdnews24.com
A massive outpouring of anger
Bangladesh has witnessed massive student protests over the past several days, after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus in the capital Dhaka on July 29. The demonstrators, mostly students in their mid-teens, blame the government for failing to enforce traffic laws. On Thursday, some students even took matters into their own hands and began enforcing rules and regulations.
Image: bdnews24.com
Student demands
The protesters have put forward a set of demands for the government. They include strict enforcement of traffic laws, ensuring safe roads and eradicating corruption in the transport sector. Furthermore, they call for harsh punishments for traffic violators, including the death penalty for reckless drivers.
Image: DW/Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman
Tense situation
On Thursday, Bangladesh's education ministry shut down high schools and colleges in an effort to quell the unrest. The government also promised students their demands for reforms to road safety would be considered. Still, the anger hasn't subdued. In Dhaka, students were seen attempting to bring traffic discipline by checking drivers' registration papers and driving licenses.
Image: DW/Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman
'We Want Justice'
Authorities have pleaded with students to call off the protests that have nearly paralyzed Dhaka and spread beyond the capital. But they have had little success so far as the demonstrators refuse to give up their protest. Chanting "we want justice," the protesters on Thursday even defied pouring rain to march in Dhaka.
Image: Facebook/H. Torikul
Beatings and vandalism
In some places, there have been clashes between the protesters and police. Videos circulated on social media show the police beating up students in an effort to clear the blockaded roads. Authorities say more than 300 vehicles have been vandalized since the protests started.
Image: bdnews24.com
Security before digitization
The students say ensuring safe roads in the country should be a higher priority for the Bangladeshi government than digitizing the nation. They argue that internet connectivity and digitization are of little use if the government is unable to ensure security on the country's roads.
Image: Facebook/D. Shawon
Empty highways
Meanwhile, not everyone seems to be happy with the students' action. Bangladesh's transport workers on Thursday stopped operating bus services across the country and demanded security from the student protesters. They also staged a demonstration at the Gabtoli Bus Terminal in Dhaka.
Image: bdnews24
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Free speech under attack
Rights group Amnesty International has urged Bangladeshi authorities to investigate attacks on journalists and activists ahead of the parliamentary vote. On December 24, at least 12 journalists came under attack by a group of 30 to 35 men, allegedly supporters of the ruling party.
"The authorities must impartially investigate these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice. Such incidents are detrimental to a peaceful atmosphere for people to exercise their civil and political rights," Saad Hammadi, Amnesty International's South Asia Campaigner, said in a statement.
Press freedom in danger ahead of election
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Ahead of the vote, Syed Ashfaqul Haque, the executive editor of Bangladesh's English newspaper The Daily Star, told DW that journalists covering Sunday's election could come under attack.
"We are afraid to send out our reporters to different polling stations," Haque told DW. ''Our reporters have been assaulted in the past. Their right to enter polling stations and observe the election process has also been denied by the government."
Haque also blamed the election commission for not reprimanding the government. ''Interestingly, the election commission has remained silent over these incidents. So, we can't expect support from the local administration as well as from the security agencies," he said.
However, Bangladesh's election commissioner Rafiqul Islam said attacks on journalists would not be tolerated. "Also, there are no restrictions on journalists that are covering the election. They can report freely," he said.
Rohingya in Bangladesh: One year after the exodus
A year ago, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya began fleeing Myanmar and crossing into neighboring Bangladesh.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Dusty, hot and crowded – and almost as big as Cologne
Rohingya began fleeing Myanmar to Bangladesh decades ago, resulting in the Kutupalong refugee camp near the southeastern city, Cox’s Bazar. But the camp population has increased dramatically since August 2017 and additional camps have been set up. Almost a million people now live in Kutupalong – a city almost the size of Cologne, but lacking the infrastructure.
Image: Zahirul Islam Shimul
Soccer fever in the refugee camp
International flags were flying at the entrance to the Kutupalong refugee camp during the World Cup. Among the many Brazilian and Argentinian flags were also occasional German ones. Soccer fever was alive in other parts of the camp and in surrounding villages as well. The young community journalists were there to cover it, adding a touch of joy even in a time of crisis.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Monsoon floods and landslides
Coping with extreme weather conditions is one of the hardest challenges. Cyclones threaten the camp in the spring, torrential rains take over during the monsoon season. Community reporters of the “Palonger Hotha” program offer listeners vital information for survival. This includes where to find bamboo sticks to reinforce shelters, and areas that need to be evacuated due to potential mudslides.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
No one stays dry
Another goal of the radio program is to strengthen the way people see themselves, by taking their daily lives seriously. The reporter team, made up of young Rohingyas and local Bangladeshis, asks families, for example, how their lives are affected when they have to huddle together for hours, due to the weather conditions.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Collecting constructive ideas
The reporters look for constructive ideas that can inspire the listeners. One reporter, Sajeda, reported on “hanging vegetable gardens”, where beans are planted as a way to increase the food supply despite limited space. The reporters also look at household remedies for curing illnesses that, due to hygiene issues, spread during the rainy season.
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Education instead of a “lost generation”
How can children learn to remember their way home? What can they do to not get lost in the refugee camp? And what are the challenges facing the camp’s Learning Centers? Education for the refugee children is of special concern to the reporter, Iqbal. There are so far no real schools for the children.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
New for Rohingya: Elefant alarms
The refugee camp lies along the migration route for the Asian elephants. Several camp residents, however, were killed in early 2018 when they tried to chase the elephants away. In response, the United Nations held a seminar showing how people should act when elephants approach. “Palonger Hotha” reporters covered this for their program.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Locals can give advice
Unlike the new refugees, locals know from experience how to react if approached by an elephant: stay calm, don’t move, and the elephant will walk away on its own. DW Akademie trainer Andrea Marshall and translator Romana Akther Shanta learned this in July, on their way to the production of the 12th radio show.
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Logging green hills
Some local Bangladeshis have found work connected to the refugee camp, but also complain that food prices have risen in the region since the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya. Green hills have since been logged because the refugees need space and firewood. This is why it is so important that the community radio program also covers the views of locals.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Conflict-sensitive approach
Working together with local trainer Mainul Khan, the “Palonger Hotha” team learns how to deal carefully with potentially sensitive topics. The program does not cover politics. On the other hand, the UNHCR’s “Smart Card”, that is supposed to facilitate the (voluntary) return to Myanmar but which many Rohingya find suspicious, is well reported on.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Overcoming trauma
Traumatic experiences also mark the first anniversary of the mass exodus that began August 25. But at the same time, many people say they are starting to face their trauma – slowly, step by step.
