^ Hence, why I raised the question of the Aam Jonotar Dol. India, with all its policy and administrative failings, still has a more independent higher judiciary and election commission than we have. This is partly aided by the existence of decentralized power in the form of a federal government structure. At a micro level, they now have a home grown educated class that are not all tainted by big business or association with the political elite. (Regardless of their current avatars, will a voter ever forget that Dr. kh was AL's FM or that Dr. Bodruddoza Chowdhury was BNP's President?) This creates relatively more hospitable conditions for new parties to emerge - and even then note how long its taking for alternatives to Congress and the BJP to emerge. Thus, I am very guarded in my optimism about the prospects of such a new party in BD.
One thing that suddenly occurred to me: more than even BKSAL, AL's current moves seem eerily similar to Indira Gandhi's Emergency between 1975 and 1977: A controversial constitutional amendment, elections fraught with electoral fraud , and after widespread violence broke out in its aftermath, the declaration of national emergency by the President, repression of criminal and civil liberties, jailing of thousands of opposition leaders, banning of Jamaat e Islami, etc etc. Very interesting given how Indira was very close to AL and provided shelter to the PM after the assassination of Bangabandhu. I wouldn't be surprised if some of her exile in India overlapped with the Emergency period.
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