At a high-profile discussion on women’s political participation, Social Welfare Ministry Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid delivered a scathing indictment of Bangladesh’s electoral system, asserting that “money and muscle power create insurmountable barriers for women candidates.”
Speaking at Democracy International’s event on government funding for women candidates at Dhaka’s Krishibid Institute, Murshid added, “Elections in Bangladesh are structurally incapable of being corruption-free. Electoral spending limits exist only on paper, with even the upcoming polls likely to see the usual tidal wave of illegal money.”
The veteran policymaker presented a damning historical analysis, noting “54 years of systemic corruption has been institutionalised through our political processes.” She added, “When we talk about candidates spending hundreds of crores, we must first acknowledge most women are automatically excluded from this corrupt game – they simply do not have access to such illicit funds.”
The discussion exposed deep systemic flaws, with Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Sanauallah acknowledging the need for cultural transformation within political parties themselves. BNP leaders Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman conceded their own party’s failures in women’s representation, while National Citizens’ Committee’s Tasnim Zara highlighted the bitter irony of women frontline protesters being excluded from post-uprising decision-making.
Sharmeen Murshid concluded, “What we’re witnessing isn’t just occasional malpractice – it’s the wholesale capture of democracy by corrupt networks that now consider election rigging their birthright.”
Manusher Jonno Foundation‘s Shaheen Anam also issued a warning about women’s untapped electoral potential: “When Bangladesh’s women voters unite as a bloc, they could single-handedly dismantle any political establishment.” International perspectives from Democracy International’s Kathryn Cecil provided comparative evidence that targeted funding mechanisms could dramatically improve women’s political participation.