BANGLA POLLS: INDIA’S CHOICE
Sheikh Hasina’s landslide victory in the nation’s 11th parliamentary elections is good for Bangladesh. The unprecedented fourth term as PM is an endorsement of her statesmanship and pragmatic leadership, even in times of great stress, such as the ongoing crisis caused by the crossing over of close to a million displaced persons from Myanmar. Essentially, this is a vote for stability, continuity of the development agenda, and acceptance of Sheikh Hasina’s commitments, made while releasing the Awami League’s 2018 election manifesto, to focus on strengthening inclusive democracy and progress towards prosperity for all, to ensure a non-communal Bangladesh with protection for religious and ethnic minorities, and to learn from the mistakes of the past.
The allegations of vote-rigging by opposition parties have been countered by national and international election observers, who found the elections “calm and peaceful” by and large. The elections were participatory, with all registered political parties joining in, and the voter turnout was very high at around 80 per cent. The Awami League’s vote share is staggeringly high at over 75 per cent of the votes cast. A key element in the swing-vote favouring Sheikh Hasina has been the young, first-time voters, a group estimated at over 12 million in 2018. This group has benefitted the most from Bangladesh’s steadily rising GDP growth over the past ten years, as high as 8 per cent in 2017-18. Young voters feel proud that under Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has moved into the top 50 of the world rankings in Global Gender Parity (India figures at 108). The war crimes trials, conducted during Sheikh Hasina’s two consecutive terms beginning early 2009, are accepted by young voters as essential for bringing closure to the tormented disputes over the 1971 liberation war. They endorse Sheikh Hasina’s historical evaluation of the strongly supportive and crucial role played by India in the 1971 war, something that no other leader of Bangladesh has had the courage to do.
India was not a factor in the 2018 general election in Bangladesh. There are two reasons for this. First, broad-based acceptance across Bangladesh of the true narrative about India’s participation in the 1971 war has removed a major source of misperception and hegemonistic innuendo. Over the past ten years, India’s political leaders, army generals, civilians and soldiers have been recognised and honoured for their contributions to the war. Secondly, especially over the past five years, the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh has blossomed and risen to new heights. Today, every sector of bilateral and sub-regional activity—trade, investment, culture, education, connectivity through water, road and rail, power supply, defence, security and counter-terrorism—is covered through intensive exchanges and agreements, grantsin-aid for specific projects and a time-bound delivery mechanism. Bangladesh companies are dynamically involved in and benefitting from such activities, including access to and trade with India’s northeastern states. There are small, medium and large projects that reach all sectors of the population.
Bangladesh is key to the success of India’s Act East policy. Cooperation with Bangladesh is vital for progress in BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), and to move ahead on the sub-regional cooperation project BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal). Sheikh Hasina has been instrumental in taking all of these forward. Implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement and delimitation of the maritime boundary are examples of difficult issues successfully resolved. Some still await solution: the Teesta Water-sharing Agreement is one such, as are aspects of illegal immigration. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina have established excellent rapport, and are mutually interested in crossing every hurdle, no matter how big.
India has every reason to be pleased with Sheikh Hasina’s electoral victory. Both nations and leaders must continue their efforts in the best mutual interests of our people, for shared peace, prosperity and growth. Our cooperation should extend to all democratic institutions of the judiciary, executive and legislature, and at the people-to-people level. There remains much hard work ahead.
India should be pleased with Sheikh Hasina’s emphatic poll victory: it promises stability and the continuity of a trajectory of bilateral cooperation