For the past two decades Bangladesh has been governed on and off by two women with conflicting interests. Sheikh Hasina, 64, leader of the Awami League party has served as the Prime Minister since 2009, having previously stood from 1996 to 2001, while the leader of the opposing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Begum Khaleda Zia, 67, was Prime Minister from 1991-96 and from 2001-06.
The two women have effectively reduced Bangladesh to one of the world’s most unstable countries, as many view their leadership as being more about pursuing personal vendettas than good governance. The relationship between the two women has been described as more of a personality clash than political rivalry.
The elections in January only served to intensify Bangladesh’s political unrest, as the Awami League’s refusal to bring in a caretaker government to oversee the election period sparked nationwide protests and resulted in a total boycott of the polls by the BNP.
Neutral caretaker governments were introduced in Bangladesh to ensure fair elections in 1991 and were used up until 2010, when the Awami League used its two-thirds majority in parliament to overrule the system, a move that the BNP has insisted was made to enable vote rigging.
The weeks leading up to the elections were marred by violence, with more than 100 people left dead after demonstrations. Protests continued up to election day, when protestors swarmed the streets, setting light to polling booths. The results were a forgone conclusion, with hundreds of uncontested seats making for an empty victory for the Awami League.
