Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), shared with CNBC-TV18 that the prevailing perception in Bangladesh suggests India's unconditional support for the ruling party, aimed at ensuring continuity and stability. However, former ambassador to Bangladesh, Veena Sikri, asserted that India has no involvement in Bangladesh's electoral process.
Majumdar said, “The general perception is that India is in the thick of it. India is supporting the ruling party unconditionally in the interest of continuity and stability.”
While Sheikh Hasina can be credited for the economic upturn in Bangladesh, concerns have been raised by human rights organizations regarding the government's crackdown on civil society and political adversaries.
The leadership of the BNP, including their leader, Tarique Rahman, is either imprisoned or in exile. Khaleda Zia, the matriarch of the BNP, lives effectively under house arrest, having been denied permission by the Bangladeshi government to seek treatment abroad for her liver cirrhosis.
Badiul Alam Majumdar emphasised the importance of holding elections to gauge people's consent, stating that a failure to do so would exacerbate Bangladesh's economic challenges.
“The last two elections were controversial to say the least, so another controversial election where people are simply denied their voting rights will accentuate the legitimacy crisis that the government has and then it will have serious complications for the economy, as well as compromise our sovereignty,” Majumdar said.
