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India’s stance, ground reality and constitutionality

Law and Order

Terming yesterday's parliamentary polls as "constitutional requirement", India today reiterated its position that the ‘democratic processes must be allowed to take their own course in Bangladesh.’ ‘Elections in Bangladesh on 5th January were a ‘constitutional requirement.’ They are a part of the internal and constitutional process of Bangladesh.’ Syed Akbaruddin, official spokesperson of India's Ministry of External Affairs, said a day after the 10th General Election of its closest neighbour.

India is totally wrong in this respect. Article 11 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, inter alia, says “The Republic shall be a democracy............in which effective participation by the people through their elected representatives in administration at all levels shall be ensured.” Article 62(2) of the Constitution says “Parliament shall consist of three hundred members to be elected in accordance with law from single territorial constituencies by direct election....”

The election held on 05 January 2014 was neither an effective participation by the people as envisaged by Article 11 of the Constitution nor was every member elected from single territorial constituencies by direct election as envisaged by Article 65(2) of the Constitution. 153 out of 300 seats were elected unopposed! This is unprecedented in the world’s history of democracy. In the rest of 147 seats, actual voters’ turnout on the Election Day was below 5%. The various opinion polls prior to the election have clearly showed that around 90% people of Bangladesh were against the election to be held under a party government.

What democracy and ‘constitutional requirement’ India is talking about? The current government has been violating the Constitution at almost each and every step of their movement. Dozens of concrete examples of gross violation of the Constitution by the current government can be given. India should be ashamed for blatantly supporting a government of ruthless dictator, extreme arrogance in attitudes, most unpopular in the history, worse autocratic in nature and, above all, gross violator of the Constitution in the name of so called ‘constitutional requirement.’

16560 views 0 comments Pool January 2014 India Democracy in Bangladesh Election  

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