The 10th parliamentary elections have been concluded. They were not ideal, but they could have been worse, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the nation has come through the process relatively unscathed.
The violence that marked the election was unprecedented and abhorrent, but not as bad as had been feared might occur, and for the most part people were able to vote without hindrance.
Similarly, the strong-arm tactics employed by the ruling party in certain constituencies was deplorable and unacceptable, but these were not as widespread as might have been feared, and we can hope that the results are a fair approximation of the true vote count.
In short, we have got through January 5 without catastrophe, and, in these anxiety-ridden times, that must be counted as a good thing. A constitutional crisis has been averted, and we must now turn our attention back to resolving the political crisis that remains.
Let us move forward and not back. The elections have happened and there is nothing to be gained by relitigating the rights and the wrongs of the decision to hold them on January 5. Nor is there anything to be gained by endlessly bickering over the path that brought us here.
What is important now is for the two sides to sit down together as soon as possible and work in good faith to bring about an election that is acceptable to the Bangladeshi people and that is their democratic right.
The January 5 elections have provided a modality for the resolution of the political impasse. Let us use it to do just that. The general public expects and deserves nothing less.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
