The Congressional Human Rights Caucus
Statement of Owen Lippert, Resident Director, Bangladesh
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs

May 24, 2005


I would like to thank Rep. Crowley, and the entire Caucus, for inviting me to this briefing on the current state of affairs in Bangladesh and what the United States can do to improve the situation. With elections less than two years away, the international community has the opportunity to assist Bangladeshi's deal with problems concerning the development of democratic institutions.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has been working in Bangladesh since the late 1980s. Over the past ten years, we have conducted a range of programs to assist Bangladeshis in their efforts to consolidate democracy and increase citizens' political participation. NDI has provided international and domestic election monitoring assistance, including a pre-election assessment that included President Jimmy Carter, and has organized and conducted workshops, seminars, study missions and multiparty roundtable discussions with political and civil society leaders on a variety of governance and democracy issues. Since October 2003, we have worked to further democratic processes within the four major political parties-the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Awami League (AL), Jamaat-e-Islami, and Jatiya Party (Ershad)-by encouraging dialogue between the parties, strengthening the role of parliament, increasing citizen access to government, and enhancing the legitimacy of the electoral process. In addition, we work closely with Bangladeshi nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on strategic planning and program development, and have provided technical assistance to NGOs on promoting citizen participation in the democratic process.

When a parliamentary system was restored after the 1991 elections, Bangladeshis hoped that an era of democracy and good will would ensue. Since that time, successive election cycles in Bangladesh have resulted in the peaceful transfer of power between governments, fostered a vibrant and active civil society that monitors the political environment and enabled the early stages of institutionalizing democratic mechanisms to respond to citizens' concerns. However, the legacy of 20 years of often violent and undemocratic government, deep mistrust among the political parties and personal animosities between the party leaders left its mark. The country remains highly polarized, and political violence, which is certainly not new to Bangladesh, is occurring with increasing frequency.

The past year has been particularly traumatic, particularly concerning the protection and promotion of human rights. With elections less than two years away, the AL has increased the number of hartals and anti-government demonstrations, resulting in crackdowns by the government. Unresolved murders of high profile AL members, especially the assassination of former finance minister and AL leader Shah ASM Kibria, have exacerbated the situation with both parties blaming each other for the attacks. On August 21, 2004, an AL rally was attacked in the center of Dhaka, resulting in the deaths of 20 demonstrators, including senior AL leader Ivy Rahman and Hasina's bodyguard, and injuring the former prime minister and the present leader of the AL, Sheikh Hasina. It is not known who is responsible for the attacks, but the escalating violence has only exacerbated tensions between the ruling and opposition parties.

The next few years are critical for the consolidation of Bangladesh's democracy. Many observers point to the 2007 elections as a test for the democratic strength of Bangladesh. In the lead up to the elections, the ruling coalition and opposition parties need to refrain from using violence to target and intimidate political opponents. In addition, parties need to be encouraged to use the democratic structures, particularly parliament, to resolve disputes in a peaceful manner rather than taking to the streets. The Bangladesh Election Commission should be strengthened in order to ensure a free and fair electoral process, including the pre- and post-election periods, and provide appropriate redress for election-related disputes. Civil society can play a role by providing a mechanism for citizens to engage in the political process.

There is much that the international community can do as parliamentary elections approach. This includes strengthening the Election Commission to help insure its independence and fairness; support international and domestic election observers to help deter violence and provide objective and accurate information on how the elections are conducted; and to generally voice their concern over the growing violence and call on all of the political parties to adhere to agreed upon behavior in conducting their election campaigns.