- Bangladesh prepares for a general election on February 12 under interim government
- The 2014 election was marked by violence, boycotts, and low voter turnout
- Awami League abolished caretaker government system in 2011 after winning 2008 polls
Bangladesh is preparing for a historic general election on February 12, its first since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a strong student-led movement.
The election is taking place under Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration, which has governed the country since August 2024.
Over a decade ago, Bangladesh witnessed one of the most turbulent chapters in its political history when the general election was marred by boycotts, violent clashes, and widespread killings, leaving a deep scar on its democratic process.
2014 Bangladesh general election
Since independence in 1971, only a handful of general elections in Bangladesh have been considered "free and fair".
Post the 2006–2008 political crisis, the Awami League decided to abolish the requirement of a caretaker government to oversee the election process in 2011. Ironically, it was Hasina's party, which demanded such a mechanism in 1996 to guard the poll process against fraud and manipulation.
It feared the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) government would manipulate the electoral process. But the Awami League, after winning the elections in 2008, abolished the system in 2011. This was done to prevent a de facto coup, as the one that occurred in 2007, when the caretaker government put in place by the military continued to remain in power for two years.
The BNP and other Opposition parties staged blockades and demonstrations starting in October 2013. Khaleda Zia called for strikes and demanded that elections be held under a caretaker government.
As the Awami League government rejected their demands, the opposition alliance decided to boycott the elections. Their December 2, 2013, boycott call was followed by a sharp rise in political violence across the country, according to Human Rights Watch.
The 2014 elections were held against the backdrop of violence related to the prosecution and sentencing of Jamaat leaders accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bangladesh's 1971 struggle for independence.
At least 18 people were killed during polling on January 5, 2014, while dozens died in the run-up to the election, the BBC reported
Over 150 voting centres were burned, while the Election Commission stated that polls were held in only 147 districts after candidates from 153 other districts were elected unopposed, CNN reported. There were no opponents in these seats because of the boycott.
When protesters tried to take over a polling station in northern Rangpur district, police opened fire, leaving two dead. A similar incident was reported in Nilphamari district, where police fired on about two dozen protesters, killing two of them.
Before the voting, BNP started a nationwide 48-hour strike after Khaleda Zia urged supporters to "completely boycott" what she called a "scandalous farce" of a general election. She even accused the authorities of placing her under house arrest.
Amid low voter turnout of 39.8%, Awami League bagged 232 of the 300 seats - nearly half of the winners being elected unopposed.
