The Price of the Vote must be Reform

Bangladesh’s political discourse is torn between urgent elections and the need for structural reform. While the BNP demands swift polls to end authoritarian rule, others insist reforms must precede any vote. Arguing that neither path alone suffices, the author proposes elections coupled with a binding reform mandate, enforced constitutionally or via political accords. This approach seeks to prevent past failures where democratic transitions lacked substantive change, aiming instead for a system where power is inseparable from reform-driven accountability.