An American think-tank has urged the United States administration to play its part to ensure free and fair election in Bangladesh, a South Asian country in transition after the last year’s mass uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has announced a timeframe for the next national election between December 2025 and June 2026, despite larger political parties demanding the polls to be held by the year end.
New American Security (CNAS), in a recent report, suggested the US administration to look into Bangladesh’s transition to democracy as the three past elections were allegedly rigged under Hasina regime.
“As elections in 2024 demonstrated, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, upholding the integrity of free and fair elections is critical to preserving stability in the region,” said in a monograph published by the CNAS on May 15.
The think-tank also underscored the need for supporting the other countries in the South Asia in their bid to democratization.
Scholars Lisa Curtis, Kareen Hart and Keerthi Martyn prepared the report.
“Practice of democratic governance and the increased number of people across the world participating in national elections are positive trends that will help ensure governments remain accountable to the people they serve and societies develop more peacefully and prosperously,” said the report.
The United States’ national security and economic interests are generally better served when countries practice democratic governance, providing a better environment for peace and prosperity to flourish, while individual liberty and freedoms are protected, it added.
The United States should reinstate funding for programmes that enhance electoral transparency, accountability, and voter education across the region, the CNAS emphasised.
“These efforts will not only enhance democratic resilience but also contribute to long-term stability in South Asia,” it added.
The experts, focusing Bangladesh, also recommended visa restrictions on individuals and groups who undermine democracy.
“Continuing these restrictions demonstrates a sustained US policy approach that prioritizes support for democratic processes and institutions”.
By doing so, Washington would send a consistent message of support for democracy in the country while maintaining a balanced stance toward all political factions, the report suggested.
Turning to South Asia as a region, the scholars said that the future of democracy in South Asia impacts great power competition between the United States and China.
“Half the global population that went to the polls in 2024 resides in South Asia. The leading democracy in the region, India, is a critical strategic partner of the United States and on the front lines of countering rising Chinese political, economic, and military influence,” it added.