Democracy in Bangladesh
Bangladesh's first leaders came from the Awami League, a party which played a pivotal role in the campaign for a separate Bengali state.
The Awami League party oversaw the implementation of a parliamentary system of democracy as stated in the Provisional Constitution of Order of 1972.
After the liberation, The Awami League first formed the government under the leadership of the country’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
First general election in the country was organized on 7 March 1973 as per the newly drafted constitution, where Awami League won a huge mandate.
After the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, Bangladesh experienced two decades worth of authoritarian rules which included stints of military regimes.
Student led civil disobedience and mass uprising in 1990, the formation of the Caretaker Government under leadership of the Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, and holding the National Parliament election on 27 February 1991 introduced retrieval of democracy in Bangladesh.The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won the election held in 1991 and formed the government under Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Resignation of 147 MPs of the opposition resulted a political uprising in the country, demanding of a non-party caretaker government by Awami League, Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.
Following the eighth parliamentary election held on 1 October 2001, the four-party alliance, dominated by BNP and Jamaat, formed new government under Khaleda Zia again.
Political conflict began with the alleged appointment of a Chief Advisor, a role which devolved to the President, Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed.
Bangladesh Army overtook the political powers and formed a new caretaker government under the Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed.
This resulted in substantial amount of civilian unrest, such as that seen in 2007, and because of which soldiers were increasingly drawn to intervene in politics to supposedly safeguard Bangladesh's democracy.
Bangladesh has suffered from assaults on university students - who are regarded as the pioneers of grassroots movements in the past - in order to change their political opinions.
However, some laws in the act criminalised the freedom of expression as several cases of civilians being charged were revealed for posting anti-government comments online.
[10] Journalism in Bangladesh has been under immense pressure as evident in the rankings of the country in the World Press Freedom Index.
Amnesty International reported that the main hindrance to free journalism is that several media outlets in Bangladesh are affected by owners and political influence, which hinders the diversification of opinions.
Amnesty International also revealed that the press is often intimidated by threats of physical violence and criminal cases against journalists.
[12] Bangladesh elections in 2014 were marred with allegations of irregularities, such as voter suppression, fake votes and capturing of polling booths.
Media coverage and reports from human rights organisations revealed the Awami League's elaborate plan for voter suppression and arrests of opposition activists in the lead up to the 2018 general election.
[15] Using positions of power to grant favours to relatives, supporters and friends is considered a norm in Bangladeshi politics.
From 2007 to 2008, several top businessmen and politicians were subjected to trials for charges such as financial corruption, tax evasion and bribery.
The same voters also felt that the interaction between MPs and their constituents is crucial for positive engagement and to monitor their performances in the parliament.
