Executive Summary

The year 2018 is considered to be very significant year for Bangladesh as the 11th Parliamentary Election is likely to be held in December 2018. The Awami League led alliance government remains in power since 2009 and in the last 10 years, the government has made different, important government and independent institutions politicized and subservient to it. The Government unilaterally removed the Caretaker Government system in 2011, despite protests from the main opposition BNP, civil society and other political parties, without any referendum, through the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which created a political crisis. Almost all political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) (except Awami League and its alliance) boycotted elections in protest of the removal of the caretaker government system; and the Awami League reassumed power for a second term through controversial and farcical Parliamentary Elections1 on January 5, 2014 and in doing so lost credibility.