The articles, the opinions, the stories, the poems and the cartoons Ovi magazine covers for Tuesday January 17th, 2023
The Recent Elections in Bangladesh by Dr. Habib Siddiqui
Bangladesh is known for high voter turnout — in 2008, it was 87 percent, in 2001 it was 76 percent and in 1996 it had recorded 75 percent. In 1991 the voter turnout was 55 percent. The election that recorded the lowest voter turnout of 21 percent was the controversial election of February 1996, which eventually was declared null and void after the opposition Awami League (AL) boycotted it. At that time, Sheikh Hasina was in the opposition who had pressed for the formation of a neutral care-taker government (CTG). (But once in power, she abolished that provision following an amendment of the constitution in 2011.)
In 2014 the voter turnout plummeted to only 51 percent, making it one of the lowest in the history of Bangladesh. The BNP calls January 5, 2014 “Murder of Democracy Day.” According to the international press, the 2018 voter turnout was even lower although the chief election commissioner (CEC) claimed after election that 80% voters had exercised their franchise.
There is little doubt that with the Jama’at banned, the Awami League’s (AL) strategy has been working. It managed to weaken the opposition front severely. The BNP-led 18-party alliance boycotted the 2014 election as its demand for impartial caretaker government (CTG) was not fulfilled, allowing the ruling AL to win the election with two thirds majority and with little opposition.
Continue reading HERE!
A fast #poem by Bohdan Yuri
“Cosmic order, young or old,
eternal life shed from bright,
move along on stilted visions,
swiftly set our hearts afire.
Speck our path, give us quarrel,
make us guess, create our best.”
Continue reading HERE
Fika bonding! #53 #cartoon by Thanos Kalamidas
For more Fika bonding! HERE!
For more Ovi Cartoons, HERE!
Ovi magazine
We cover every issue!
No comments:
Post a Comment