Views Bangladesh
For the past month the world’s attention has been fixed on a luminous naval convoy known as the ‘Global Sumud Flotilla’. The flotilla’s first voyage set off from Barcelona, Spain, on 31 August.
At a policy dialogue organised by the influential London-based think tank Chatham House last June, the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, said that the 13th National Parliamentary Election would be the most beautiful election in Bangladesh’s history. Since announcing that the election would be held in February next year, he has repeatedly stated that the government will provide all necessary support to hold the election in a fair, peaceful and festive environment. But as the days go by, doubts and concerns about the election are arising not only among ordinary citizens but also among eminent persons. The main reason is the existing disputes between political parties instead of reaching a consensus. The second reason is the continuous deterioration of the law-and-order situation in the country.
The Election Commission (EC) has already begun preparations ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. Recently, the EC published the “Election Observation Policy 2025.” It states that in order to be registered as an “observer organisation” for “election observation,” several mandatory guidelines under the Representation of the People Order of 1972 must be strictly followed. Among these is the requirement of a registered office with a proper name and address. Yet, as reported in the media on 30 September (Tuesday), applications have been submitted by so-called observer organisations that have no office at all—some showing their own residence, some an abandoned room, and others even an under-construction building as their official address.
The garment industry is one of the driving forces of Bangladesh’s economy. At present, about 58 per cent of the country’s total workers are women employed in the garment sector. At one time it was more than 80 per cent. Due to lower wages and fewer facilities compared to other sectors and because of women’s health issues, particularly maternal health problems, the participation of female workers in the garment industry is declining at an alarming rate. A study published by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) revealed that 65 per cent of women working in the garment industry become pregnant before the age of 18. One in three of these women has experienced at least one unwanted pregnancy in her lifetime and one in four has had an abortion or undergone menstrual regulation.
The Amar Ekushey Book Fair is part of our cultural heritage. Among the traditional fairs of independent Bangladesh, the book fair is one of the most significant. In memory of the language martyrs of 1952, the Ekushey Book Fair has been held every February since 1972.
The report states that since early August, violent mobs have carried out serious retaliatory acts, including killings, targeting police, Awami League leaders and activists,