Bangladesh leader promises fair election

The head of Bangladesh’s military-backed interim government pledged today’s election for prime minister – the country’s first poll in seven years – would be free and fair and urged political parties to accept the results.

The election is seen as crucial to restoring democracy in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which has a history of military rule and political unrest.

Still, the two top candidates are former prime ministers charged with corruption and many fear the election will not bring the reform the impoverished country of 150 million desperately needs.

Fakhruddin Ahmed, the head of the interim government that took power when election were cancelled in 2007, said the vote would go ahead as scheduled.

“All along I have spoken about holding a free, fair and credible election, and that election is going to be held tomorrow,” Mr Ahmed said yesterday.

Ahmed urged the country’s more than 81 million voters to cast their ballots “consciously and wisely”.

Vying for the top post of prime minister are Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina - arch-rivals who have traded power back and forth for 15 years in successive governments marked by corruption, mismanagement and paralysing protests.

Ms Zia was elected prime minister in 1991, Ms Hasina in 1996, and Ms Zia again in 2001.

During the back and forth, a well-worn pattern emerged: one party wins the election, and the other spends the term leading strikes and protests to make the impoverished nation of 150 million ungovernable.

Last year, both Ms Zia and Ms Hasina were jailed on corruption charges – which they dismissed as politically motivated – but they were freed on bail and reassumed positions as the heads of their respective parties, the two largest in the country.

Scattered violence broke out Saturday between Zia and Hasina supporters, leaving 85 people injured in three different districts, the United News of Bangladesh reported.

There was no reported violence yesterday.

Mr Ahmed appealed to both parties to accept the poll results.

“We hope all will accept the election results in good grace,” he said in a televised speech. “We want unity in diversity. It is critically important to have mutual respect, harmony and tolerance.”

Bangladesh’s last attempt at elections in 2007 failed following weeks of deadly rioting between supporters of Ms Hasina’s Awami League party and Ms Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Power was handed over to an interim government backed by the country’s influential military and a state of emergency was imposed. The state of emergency was only lifted earlier this month.