The Election Day: Fear, Exclusion, and Persecution Come Together

Abstract

Blatant rigging, although one of the riskiest strategies, has remained one of the most effective manipulating mechanisms among non-democratic regimes around the world. This was on full display in the 2018 Bangladesh election. This chapter, drawing on press reports and personal narratives of journalists and polling agents of different political parties, has documented the events of election day, December 30, 2018. The scenes of day included absence of opposition activists on the streets, and the barring of polling agents from entering the poling centers. The Election Commission, well before the election, delayed permission to the international observers, practically ensuring no monitoring. The chapter provides a case study of one seat where the pre-election and election day manipulation strategies came together.