In Dhaka, the Roadblocks to Democracy Are Roadblocks
As the Election Looms in Bangladesh, Blockades Are More Than a Metaphor for the Obstacles Facing Voters
It’s election season in Bangladesh—the roads are closed, vehicles are burning, and the threat of violence is close.
As I write these sentences, the country’s chief opposition party—the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)—is observing the 10th round of blockades protesting the ruling Awami League’s insistence on running the next election itself.
The idea of a continuous blockade may invoke images of a medieval warlord hoping to lay siege to an opponent’s fortress. Bangladesh’s modern blockades are often described in international media as shutdowns of passenger and freight transportation routes that bring inter-city movement …
