Bangladesh has passed the eventful month, the February and going to experience a yearlong election festival. After the one/eleven (the eleventh day of January-2007, when the present interim government was formed and emergency was declared in Bangladesh) most of the commissions were reconstructed along with the Election Commission. The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) was also reconstructed through the same drive.
In the year 2007, ACC and Joint Force started intensive drive against the politicians and businessmen who were apparently involved in large-scale corruption. As a part of this drive two former Prime Ministers, Sheik Hasina and Begume Khaleda Zia, a dozen of senior politicians, a number of businessman were arrested and took under trial.
The Interim Government proclaimed ordinance for speedy trial for them. Through this process some of them are convicted as well. The trial procedure against Begume Khaleda Zia, the supreme leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Sheik Hasina, the president of Bangladesh Awami League (AL) are going on in speedy trial courts, constituted by the interim government.
The lawyers of AL president went for a writ petition against the procedure of the trial of Sheik Hasina. Honorable High Court gave a verdict that the misdeeds occurred before the emergency should not be taken for trial under the emergency rule.
The legal experts of Bangladesh mentioned that this verdict of the High Court would make difficult the trial process of a large number of cases that were filed after the declaration of state of emergency.
The legal experts, mass media, intellectuals and social activists of the country mentioned it as A Landmark Verdict. Any way the further proceedings in this regard are going on at the Appellate Division of Bangladesh Supreme Court.
After one/eleven the reconstructed EC organised dialogue with the political parties twice within a year. The last dialogue was held in the last week of February 2008. All of important political parties, except BNP, joined the dialogue and expressed the common opinion that the national election should be held on or before December 2008.
The EC assured the politicians that as of EC Road Map by December next, the national and the local government election would be held properly. The EC mentioned that more than 40 million voters had already been listed and farther work of preparing an authentic and acceptable voter list is going on.
The Government and the EC are intending to hold elections of local government first then the National election. But Acting President of AL, the largest Political Party, demanded that, National Election should be hold first.
Observers feel that by any means EC would be able to manage the parties to support their road map. EC already expressed the intention that if possible, Commission want to conduct the election of City Corporations.
Among six City Corporations, term of three including the Capital City have already been passed away, the term of other two will be completed on May 2008 and the term of Chittagong City (port city) Corporation will be completed on 2010.
Except Dhaka, the capital city, preparing of voter list has been completed a month before. That is why EC intending to declare election schedule of four city corporation i.e. Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet. The schedule of Dhaka City would be declared after completion of voter list.
In Bangladesh Union Council, Municipality and City Corporation are the active local governments. Once there was a practice of elected local government at Upazila (sub-district) level. But this level of local government was suspended from 1991.
But in a recent meeting, the government and the EC agreed upon holding of the election at Upazila level and a law is under preparation to provide authority of holding such elections to the EC. Local government affairs Advisor had an opinion for holding national election and Upazila level election on a same day to avoid extra expenditure. But EC and other part of the policy makers had suggestion of holding Upazila election part by part.
Authorities argued that as of the road map, a national election should be completed by December 2008. All due local government elections also could be completed by his time frame. Concerned authorities also mentioned that though Bangladesh has 482 Upazila at local government level, the election of this level could be completed part by part on the basis of the completion of voter list of the locality.
At this stage the political parties of Bangladesh are waiting for another dialogue with the government. If both the side could reach on an agreed formula, this will lead the country to an election process and the process will run through out the year.
It should be mentioned that the people of Bangladesh always see the election as a festival. People from all walks of society are in a festive mood. At this stage question raises are whether the election is expectable to them or not.
E-Mail author: The author of this article, Kazi Mohoshin Al Abbas, is a Bangladesh based senior journalist writes on issues related to socio-political developments in Bangladesh.
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