On 7 January, Sheikh Hasina secured her fourth consecutive term as prime minister when her party, the Awami League (AL), won 223 of 300 parliamentary seats. Independent candidates, most of them allied to AL won 62 seats, while the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the vote. The Chief Election Commissioner reported voter turnout was 40.99 per cent, compared with 80.00 per cent in the last election in 2018. Preliminary results indicate that despite a record high 5.1 per cent of female candidates, only 20 out of 299 contested seats were won by women (a decrease from 22 in 2018), with an additional 50 reserved seats for women to be determined in March. The election was marred by violence and repression of opposition candidates and supporters in the lead-up to and on election day. Voting irregularities were reported across several polling centres, causing voting there to be postponed. Independent election monitors from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) noted that the elections were “neither genuine nor competitive.”  

Sources: ANFREL (1), ANFREL (2), The Dhaka Tribune, IPU, Bangladesh Parliament, Reuters

On 1 January, a Dhaka court sentenced Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and three other officials of Grameen Telecom to six months imprisonment for violating labour laws, after they were found guilty of failing to create a welfare fund for their workers. Political analysts consider the conviction as politically motivated, aimed at discrediting Yunus, who once was considered a political rival to the government. Yunus faces more than 100 other charges for labour law violations and alleged graft. The verdict comes after 170 global figures signed a letter in August 2023 calling for an end to the “continuous judicial harassment” of Yunus. In January, global leaders proposed an independent legal review of the case. The government has said that no one is above the law and had in previous months urged international experts to reassess the legal proceedings. On 28 January, the tribunal granted bail for the four convicted, and stayed the lower court’s verdict until 3 March. Human rights groups have criticized the speedy trial, with UN special rapporteur Irene Khan describing the conviction as a “travesty of justice.” 

Sources:  BBC News, Deutsche Welle, Amnesty International South Asia, The Daily Star (1), The Daily Star (2)

Several opposition parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have formally announced their boycott of the upcoming general election set for 7 January 2024. The parties had earlier refused to submit candidate nominations on the last day of the filing period. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed her party members to set up “dummy candidates” in uncontested seats, which some political analysts criticize as a move toward making the election appear inclusive and competitive. Rights experts have questioned the possibility of a free and fair election amid reports of an ongoing "systematic crackdown on opposition members." Human Rights Watch notes that nearly 10,000 activists have been arrested by Bangladesh authorities since 28 October, with key opposition leaders and supporters targeted.  

Sources: ANFREL, Human Rights Watch, The Diplomat, VOA News, The Daily Star

Three months ahead of the general election, protests are escalating as rights groups accuse Bangladesh police of using excessive force during political demonstrations on 28 October. Amnesty International describes it as a "complete clampdown on dissent," while the Daily Star reported that the developments have raised “the spectre of violence in the lead-up to national election.” Human Rights Watch reported violent clashes between Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters resulted in at least 11 deaths, hundreds injured, and the subsequent arrest of a key BNP opposition leader. The BNP alleged that over 1,500 opposition members were arrested before the rally. Media outlets have said the protest was the biggest rally this year, with tens of thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation. United Nations authorities have urged the government to show restraint in the lead-up to the January 2024 election.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, OHCHR, Amnesty International, The Daily Star

On 13 September, parliament approved the Cyber Security Act (CSA) 2023, aimed at preventing cybercrime and the spread of false information. The CSA replaces the controversial Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018. Concerns have been raised by the United States and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) due to the rapid passage of the bill, which appears to have ignored input from various stakeholders. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman pointed out that the bill was introduced in parliament on 5 September and passed in just eight days, facilitated by the ruling party's overwhelming majority. Critics argue that while some non-bailable provisions from the DSA have been made bailable and sentences reduced, the bill still contains repressive elements from the DSA. These include vague definitions of offences and provisions for potentially misused arrests. Opposition lawmakers have dubbed it "old wine in a new bottle." Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen encouraged stakeholders to review the act before passing judgment, emphasizing that it has considered all perspectives. The Act has not yet been publicly disclosed.

Sources: Dhaka Tribune (1), Dhaka Tribune (2), ICNL, Transparency International, The Daily Star