Goph diye jai chena
spot them by their whiskers
- Sukumar Roy
An election is approaching. The incumbent, heir to a political dynasty, enjoyed wide popularity five years ago, but a lot has changed since then. Corruption scandals touch the highest echelon of the government. Rising prices and widening income inequality means that most people don’t share the nation’s increasing prosperity. Security of life and property, once the ruling party’s strong card, has come under increasing threat from terrorists, and people are not sure if the incumbent can be trusted to keep them safe. Faced with eroding populrity, the ruling party has put its cronies in key positions to manipulate the election. It has tried to disenfranchise many who are likely to vote for the opposition. To boost its base supporters, the ruling party is fanning religious and sectarian divisions. I am not talking about the US mid-term. No, my subject is the coming election in Bangladesh. (more…)
