extra terrestrial
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2011
- Messages
- 1,722
- Reaction score
- 1
- Country
- Location
There is a possibility of intervention of the army in the politics of Bangladesh if street violence continues after the parliamentary elections to be held in January 5, The New York Times (NYT) said on Wednesday.
In the wake of a boycott of the elections by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the turnout could be far lower, which may trigger political instability and street demonstrations to demand a new round of elections.
"That raises the possibility that the Bangladeshi military, in the name of national stability, might declare a state of emergency," speculates the NYT.
Bangladesh remains a poor country, but one that has achieved real progress. Health indexes have improved markedly, and income per capita has risen.
But the continuing political violence is damaging the economy and alienating the public, said NYT, one of the leading newspapers of the United States.
Business leaders are calling for a political compromise, as the violence has shut down factories and other commerce. Leaders in the country's powerful garment industry say the strikes have caused delays in meeting deadlines and may deter foreign investors.
"Yet, in the end, it will all come down to the "two ladies (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia)," and whether they can look past their bitter history and find a way to hold an election on Jan. 5," the NYT said in the last line of the report.
The poisonous rivalry between the two leaders has created a dangerous impasse, eliciting growing international concern, as both women engage in a bitter game to become the next prime minister.
The issue is whether the two can agree on how the coming elections will be conducted.
For nearly two years, Mrs. Zia and other opposition leaders have demanded that Mrs. Hasina and her government step down shortly before the parliamentary elections so that an impartial caretaker government can oversee the polling - as Bangladesh has done on several occasions. If not, Mrs. Zia says her party will not participate in the elections.
But Mrs. Hasina has refused, arguing that Bangladesh's institutions are stable enough to conduct elections and that she is merely abiding by the national Constitution. That is where things now stand, with neither leader willing to budge, even as the damage to the country rises.
"Common sense decrees that the two ladies should work out a compromise," said a senior Bangladeshi diplomat and longtime political observer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of angering either of the two leaders. "At the moment, the country is paying a big price in law and order."
When Bangladesh's chief election commissioner last week fixed Jan. 5 as the date for national elections, the response was grimly predictable. Men rushed into the streets to set cars on fire, and soon the wailing horns of police cruisers and fire trucks blared through the darkened capital
Since Nov. 26, at least two dozen people have died across the country as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has staged nationwide strikes, blocking roads and train trestles, to protest the elections.
Throughout the year, Mrs. Zia's opposition party has pressed its demands through these strikes, known as hartals, which have inflicted growing damage on the national economy.
Army may intervene if violence continues after elections: NYT | LAST PAGE | Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh
In the wake of a boycott of the elections by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the turnout could be far lower, which may trigger political instability and street demonstrations to demand a new round of elections.
"That raises the possibility that the Bangladeshi military, in the name of national stability, might declare a state of emergency," speculates the NYT.
Bangladesh remains a poor country, but one that has achieved real progress. Health indexes have improved markedly, and income per capita has risen.
But the continuing political violence is damaging the economy and alienating the public, said NYT, one of the leading newspapers of the United States.
Business leaders are calling for a political compromise, as the violence has shut down factories and other commerce. Leaders in the country's powerful garment industry say the strikes have caused delays in meeting deadlines and may deter foreign investors.
"Yet, in the end, it will all come down to the "two ladies (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia)," and whether they can look past their bitter history and find a way to hold an election on Jan. 5," the NYT said in the last line of the report.
The poisonous rivalry between the two leaders has created a dangerous impasse, eliciting growing international concern, as both women engage in a bitter game to become the next prime minister.
The issue is whether the two can agree on how the coming elections will be conducted.
For nearly two years, Mrs. Zia and other opposition leaders have demanded that Mrs. Hasina and her government step down shortly before the parliamentary elections so that an impartial caretaker government can oversee the polling - as Bangladesh has done on several occasions. If not, Mrs. Zia says her party will not participate in the elections.
But Mrs. Hasina has refused, arguing that Bangladesh's institutions are stable enough to conduct elections and that she is merely abiding by the national Constitution. That is where things now stand, with neither leader willing to budge, even as the damage to the country rises.
"Common sense decrees that the two ladies should work out a compromise," said a senior Bangladeshi diplomat and longtime political observer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of angering either of the two leaders. "At the moment, the country is paying a big price in law and order."
When Bangladesh's chief election commissioner last week fixed Jan. 5 as the date for national elections, the response was grimly predictable. Men rushed into the streets to set cars on fire, and soon the wailing horns of police cruisers and fire trucks blared through the darkened capital
Since Nov. 26, at least two dozen people have died across the country as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has staged nationwide strikes, blocking roads and train trestles, to protest the elections.
Throughout the year, Mrs. Zia's opposition party has pressed its demands through these strikes, known as hartals, which have inflicted growing damage on the national economy.
Army may intervene if violence continues after elections: NYT | LAST PAGE | Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh
BAL cant buy entire military.
