12th parliamentary election Bangladesh

73pc candidates lose security deposits

A total of 1,441 candidates out of 1,969 who contested the January 7 polls lost their security deposits for failing to secure the minimum required votes.

Bappy Chowdhury expresses interest in politics

Bappy announced his wish to follow his senior colleagues and contemporaries such as Ferdous Ahmed and Mahiya Mahi.

The election is not the endgame

“What’s the point of this election?” Its winner has already been predetermined.

Political parties need to behave more responsibly towards the electorate

The people have to be more alert, assertive, and vocal.

The Street View / The quest is for an opposition, not a government

Who will form the opposition is still a matter of speculation.

Mila returns with an election song

The song titled “Go Vote” has recently been released as a music video on the official Facebook and YouTube channels of the Campaign Advocacy Programme (CAP)

Voters without choice are just glorified dummies

You’ve already met the dummy candidates, aka independents. Now, meet dummy voters.

Opinion / Of the AL, for the AL, and by the AL

AL-nominated and AL independent candidates will have enough AL supporters to represent a decent voter turnout.

December 15, 2023
December 15, 2023

Will the political deadlock discourage first-time voters?

Another election is in the offing, and even though I want to feel excited again, I simply cannot.

December 11, 2023
December 11, 2023

Elections without choice: A leaf out of autocrats’ playbook

As the country is heading towards an exercise that the incumbent is calling an election, it is imperative that we understand what is in the making.

December 3, 2023
December 3, 2023

‘No use trying to deter me’: Mahiya Mahi looks to battle setback amid allegations

In a dramatic turn of events, popular actress Mahiya Mahi, an independent candidate vying for the Rajshahi-1 (Tanore-Godagari) constituency, finds herself facing a challenging situation after the abrupt cancellation of her nomination letter.

December 3, 2023
December 3, 2023

The flipside of the democracy carnival

Bereft of the basic rights to assemble and express, let alone protest, the people of Bangladesh are currently bearing the brunt of the coercive apparatuses of the state.

December 1, 2023
December 1, 2023

A legal but illegitimate election will not serve the people

Legitimacy is all about inclusion and participation of voters and parties, and how people view the election. 

November 29, 2023
November 29, 2023

Citizens, elections, democracy: The Bangladeshi conundrum

Even though transparent, participatory and competitive elections are a constitutional right, the realities today have vitiated those expectations.

November 19, 2023
November 19, 2023

Can we trust the EC at all?

The EC has repeatedly said one thing and did something other than that, if not the opposite.

November 18, 2023
November 18, 2023

No excuse good enough for forgoing dialogue

Politicians must give talks a chance to break stalemate

November 16, 2023
November 16, 2023

Polls schedule is not a cut-off point for dialogue

Without political reconciliations, we're headed for another violent, one-sided election

November 16, 2023
November 16, 2023

Are we running in circles?

The only way out of a controversial election is dialogue