Hasina remains the high priestess of Bangladesh’s dynastic democracy
After yet another controversial election victory, PM Sheikh Hasina is set to continue with business as usual, but without a mandate from her people. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shows a victory sign after casting her vote during the 12th general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 7, 2024 It has been said that for the past 15 years, Bangladesh’s elections have been so skewed in favour of the ruling Awami League, they are enough to make North Korea’s Kim Jong Un squirm with envy. An unfair comparison perhaps, but Sunday’s results, where the party, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, secured 222 seats out of 300, are enough to make even the most unbiased among us raise a sceptical eyebrow. But should we really be surprised by what was a foregone conclusion? And what does the result mean for the future of Bangladesh? Given that the election was uncontested by the country’s main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), amid concerns that it would be rigged, and with large