However, there is no magic formula or quick fix to our problems. It is, therefore, urgent that we begin to face the stark reality and address the monumental challenges we face. If we are unable to change course, we may go off the cliff and become an extremist state, ushering in a dark future for future generations. Some of our citizens, particularly the youth, have embraced religion as a solution to the problem of serious democratic deficits and widespread governance failure. Some international observers and think-tanks such as International IDEA call Bangladesh an autocracy. Reporters without Borders recently listed us among the top 39 predators of press freedom. Because of such deviations, Bangladesh is now a country of stolen elections, closed democratic space, serious human rights violations, crony capitalism, looting and plundering and unjust polity. Thus, Bangladesh became a nation of "one-day democracy," deviating from the aspirations of our valiant freedom fighters. Those governments, though formed with the consent of the people, did not practice the democratic ideals of respecting people's rights, rule of law, transparency, accountability, and social justice. Four were held under a neutral caretaker government (1991, 1996, 20 elections) and were more or less credible elections where people could exercise their franchise. We have had 11 parliamentary elections in the history of Bangladesh.
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