| Military backed interim government in Bangladesh | | | | wanted Bangladesh to return to democracy |
| is gradually proceeding with its ultimate plan of | | | | through free and fair elections according to the |
| planting non-political people as ‘people’s | | | | electoral roadmap," Indian High Commissioner |
| representative’ in order to attain the goal of | | | | Pinak Ranjan Chakravarti said. Bangladesh's |
| ultimately depolitizing the country. Contrary to the | | | | Election Commission had announced that it wanted |
| Election Commission’s roadmap, local | | | | to hold general election in the country, which was |
| government adviser Anwarul Iqbal recently | | | | put off in Jan last year following imposition of a |
| announced a timeline for holding elections to the | | | | state emergency, by 2008 end. The head of the |
| local government bodies. The adviser said that the | | | | interim government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed and |
| elections to four city corporations and seven | | | | the army chief Moeen U Ahmed have voiced their |
| municipalities would be held in April while polls to | | | | support for the roadmap a number of times. "The |
| 100 upazila parishads [sub district councils] would | | | | caretaker government has an ambitious agenda |
| take place in May this year. It may be mentioned | | | | [for holding the elections] and has done a lot of |
| here that, according to the ‘roadmap’ | | | | great jobs," the US charge d' affaires Geeta Pasi |
| announced by the Election Commission, elections | | | | told recently. When visibly the EC is moving ahead |
| to upazila parishads [sub district councils] are to | | | | with its roadmap in holding the next general |
| start in October while the balloting for the city | | | | election according to its roadmap, there is a |
| corporations, municipalities and union parishads | | | | growing speculations in the minds of various think |
| [village council] would be held sometime before | | | | tanks in Bangladesh that, once the election is held, |
| December this year. The adviser’s | | | | this country will also witness the similar ‘come |
| announcement came in contradiction with the | | | | back’ of former political parties in power |
| government’s recent decision to empower | | | | either directly or indirectly, which had been |
| the commission to determine the timeline for | | | | seriously affected during the anti corruption drive |
| elections to the local government bodies. The | | | | of the present interim government. Although |
| advisor, while making this announcement of local | | | | there were some attempts by minor politicians or |
| government election also said that none of the | | | | some former military officials in forming political |
| members or affiliates of any of the existing | | | | parties during the State of Emergency, it is by |
| political parties will be able to become a candidate | | | | now absolutely understood by all quarters that |
| in any of the local government elections. | | | | these newly born parties shall have in fact no |
| Responding to such announcement by the local | | | | significant role in any of the elections in the |
| government advisor to the present interim | | | | country. It will be absolutely difficult for them in |
| government, the Chief Election Commissioner | | | | even bagging couple of seats in the national |
| [CEC] ATM Shamsul Huda said he does not know | | | | election as neither the forefront leaders nor the |
| anything about the plans for upazila elections in | | | | others of such parties have any acceptability to |
| May as announced by the adviser. "I know nothing | | | | the voters in Bangladesh. So, once the election is |
| about it. You better ask the one who's made the | | | | held in Bangladesh mainstream political parties will |
| announcement," an apparently irritated Huda told | | | | regain power, which may not be either expected |
| reporters after a meeting of the Election | | | | or delighting for the present interim government |
| Commission [EC]. It may be recalled here that the | | | | or its driving force. Everyone understands that |
| mainstream political parties have in a chorus | | | | once the mainstream politicians get back into the |
| demanded that parliamentary elections be held | | | | driving seat of country’s administration, most |
| before local government elections. They are apt | | | | of the actions and initiatives of the current interim |
| to say that is what the caretaker government | | | | government will get questioned and it is even |
| and the EC are mandated for. Besides, they add, | | | | likely that the entire situations of past January 11, |
| it might 'complicate' the preparations for national | | | | 2007 might become boomerang for the members |
| elections, apart from the fact that the results of | | | | of the interim government and its driving force. |
| the local government polls, although held on a | | | | And, of course, such realities are not unknown to |
| non-party basis, could influence the outcome of | | | | either Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed or anyone else. |
| the parliamentary elections. The interim | | | | Considering this fact, possibly the present interim |
| government and the Election Commission have | | | | government is considering somehow delaying the |
| repeatedly promised to hold the next general | | | | whole electoral process as well seeing scopes of |
| election by December 2008. Development | | | | even changing the form of government in the |
| partners and international community have | | | | country. In that case, Bangladesh may witness |
| welcomed such moves of the government and | | | | return to Presidential form of government from |
| are putting highest emphasis on this issue. India | | | | the present one. Fate and future of democracy |
| has pressed Bangladesh's military-backed | | | | shall completely depend on two major questions. |
| government to honor its promise to hold free and | | | | Who will be the next president of the country and |
| fair elections by the end of this year, joining the | | | | what type of political and economic charisma he |
| international chorus for early restoration of | | | | holds in his pocket to give confidence in the minds |
| democracy in the emergency-ruled country. "India | | | | of the people. |