Mohiuddin Alamgir

Bangladesh has always had a rocky democracy

The arduous struggle for the restoration of democracy reaches its final step this afternoon, as an elected government prepares to take oath following the swearing‑in of newly elected lawmakers this morning.

The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami recorded significant gains in vote share and seats compared to 1991, each rising by nearly 20 percentage points.

The new parliament will feature a significant number of new faces, with first‑time lawmakers set to take up the roles of both the leader of the House and the opposition leader for the first time in the country’s history.

The 13th national election will be remembered as the one when voters reclaimed their franchise.

The “Yes” vote in Thursday’s referendum received comparatively lower support than in the previous three plebiscites.

Bangladesh has been without a competitive election for so long that almost a third of the electorate has never witnessed genuine polls in which voters elect parliamentarians of their choosing.

When Winston Churchill rose at the House of Commons in October 1944, he reminded the world that democracy rests on something really important: “At the bottom of all tribute paid to democracy is the little man and woman, walking into a little booth, with a little pencil making a little cross on paper.”