Indian media for dialogues

The Indian media editorially commented today on the January 5 parliamentary elections in Bangladesh saying while the legitimacy of the polls can hardly be questioned, the fact that majority of the seats saw no contest “dilutes” the quality of the results.
The media also asked Indian government to prod Sheikh Hasina government to reach out to the opposition and begin a dialogue process “so that a new political compact can be forged”.
In an editorial, The Times of India said, "The fact that 153 of the total of 300 seats up for grabs saw the winning candidates win without any contest dilutes the quality of the results”.
“That said, the legitimacy of the polls can hardly be questioned…the election was conducted as per provisions of the Bangladeshi constitution. Neither does the opposition demand for a caretaker regime administered polls…cut ice,” it said adding “had the BNP-led opposition lent greater weight to the polls through its participation, it may have emerged victorious.”
“Economic and social development demands that constitutionalism triumphs over political enmity. For this, both Awami League and BNP must talk to each other”, the newspaper commented.
Referring to Hasina’s offer to hold another election by dissolving the tenth Jatiya Sangsad should BNP abjure violence and choose to participate, the daily said, “India, with its considerable stakes in Bangladesh, can serve as an honest broker between the two parties and reach out to BNP to persuade it to take the offer.”
The Hindustan Times in its yesterday’s editorial said that with just 22 per cent polling, “there are concerns about the validity of the (electoral) process”.
“For the time being, Sheikh Hasina and her party have emerged victorious and this is good news for India—under her rule Dhaka-New Delhi ties have strengthened, especially in boosting trade and tackling terrorism.”
An editorial in The Indian Express on Monday said the general election in Bangladesh “cannot be isolated from the bigger battle that has raged in the streets ever since the Sheikh Hasina government initiated the war crimes trial process”.
While India “must affirm its support for Hasina in the larger battle against extremist forces, Delhi must also use its good will to urge her to reach out to the opposition and begin a dialogue process so that a new political compact can be forged”, it said.
The editorial also said Khaleda Zia “needs to rethink her alliance with the Jamaat, the continuance of which can only further damage Bangladesh”, the daily added.
The Asian Age newspaper in an editorial said that more than half the seats in parliament have gone to ruling Awami League uncontested, “this had straightaway made the election result unrepresentative”.
“In order to head off any plans Jamaat-e-Islami may have had to disrupt the election, it may have been useful if prime minister Hasina had acceded to Begum Zia’s demand to have a caretaker government to conduct the election…If Jamaat and BNP had still sought to impede fair elections—the answerability would lie with Begum Zia—both in the eyes of the country and the world,” it said.