As it stands, Bangladesh faces a future of political and economic uncertainty. The escalation of hostilities could not have worse timing as the country confronts extreme poverty and a rapidly depreciating manufacturing sector. Within the last month, the country has seen a rapid increase of violence and political unrest as opposition parties increase their capacity in the upcoming election. Additionally, such anti-government protests have forced thousands off the streets of the capital Dhaka as police and paramilitary guards attempt to confine and subdue the opposition. As the January 2014 general election approaches, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) continues to put pressure on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to install a neutral, non-partisan administration to oversee the voting process. However, despite the protests and fighting, Hasina and opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia have failed to come to an agreement despite the desperate state of affairs. In response to the stalemate, the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations have advocated for both parties to come to an expedient consensus in the upcoming months.
Historically, Bangladesh has experienced significant pre-election violence. Dating back to 1996, polls have been interrupted and aborted as a result of intense violence. In 2007, voting was halted due to party opposition that led to military intervention to install a ‘caretaker’ or temporary government. A precedent and mutual distrust among the two leading parties has made elections virtually impossible and less effective.
Furthermore, violent clashes with police and protesters since October 26 have left at least fifteen dead and many more injured. Bangladesh reporters have posted photos of burn victims from recent strikes involving the use of arson. The intensified violence, particularly this year, can be attributed to the war crime tribunal set up in 2010 to try those involved in the human rights violations during the 1971 war in which Bangladesh sought independence from Pakistan. In the wake of verdicts, 150 people have been killed and more than 2,000 people injured by police officials, according to a recent Human Rights Watch report. In relation to the hostilities, the political crisis has also forced store owners and their employees to close their business, pushing an already weak and fragile economy further into a bleak trap. Waiting has burdened their capacity to work, earn money, and provide an income for their starving families as they wait for the violence to subside. “We need to go to the office, we need to work,” exclaimed Abdus Salam, who is one of many local business owners desperately waiting for a political agreement between the conflicting parties.
Moreover, only to add to the tension, poor safety standards and recent incidents have put a halt to the country’s main export. Bangladesh is the second leading exporter of readymade garments, accounting for almost 80% of the country’s exports. Appealing to the government, workers have demanded higher wages and better working conditions. The death of more than a thousand workers within the last year has prompted the global community to scrutinize and condemn the working conditions within the factories. However, Bangladesh’s wage board had proposed an increase of less than what the union demanded, claiming to represent the needs of both the factory owners and the workers. In addition, despite the increase, Bangladesh’s minimum wage will remain one of the lowest in the world.
Decades of rivalry and political division have severely undermined the legitimacy of an effective government in Bangladesh. The country’s future is becoming increasingly uncertain as it remains trapped in a persistent cycle of poverty and turmoil. Can the international community intervene? What will it take to break the cycle of hopelessness, poverty, and repression? As global spectators, we note these questions are all too often repetitive, especially as we consider other countries across the globe who have faced various situations of economic and political instability.