Counterpoint, an English-language publication, has offered a lowdown on what the February 12 elections mean for the future of Bangladesh. Here’s what its editor Zafar Sobhan has to say in 10 points: -Victory for BangladeshThe elections took place without incident and were above board. Whether your preferred candidate or political party won or lost on Thursday, there can be no question that Bangladesh won. The elections were notably calm, with only isolated reports of impropriety, and both the voting and the counting went smoothly. For the first time in over a decade the Bangladeshi people awoke this morning in the knowledge that their voices had been heard. Democracy is alive and well.Mandate for BNPThe BNP has received a comprehensive mandate. This wasn’t just a victory for the party, it was a resounding vote of confidence. This was sweet vindication for a party that had been marginalized and victimized for almost two decades. Now the challenge for the party is to demonstrate that it has learned from its past mistakes and that it is ready to govern a new post-Uprising Bangladesh very differently from its last term in office from 2001-2006.Jamaat can be HappyEven though they fell short of their own stated predictions, the Jamaat can quietly be very content with their showing. They have established themselves as a major political party in their own right, stepping out from the third-party shadows, and can only be expected to build on their gains in future. In addition to their impressive final showing, their organization, discipline, and efficiency throughout the campaign bode well for the party. Now they need to show what they are capable of as a responsible main opposition party in Parliament.NCP for RealIn the end, the NCP did much better than people had expected, vindicating their decision to ally with the Jamaat. Their impressive showing ensures that they will remain a relevant factor in Bangladesh politics and they now have a large enough power base to demand a seat at the table. They are the first new voice in the political firmament to make any noise in several decades, and it is clear that the old duopoly that dominated politics is finished. The future of politics in Bangladesh will look quite unlike the past, and the NCP are going to be a major part of it.AL not Dead YetWe can’t know for sure, but the 60% turnout suggests that there remains a fair chunk of AL voters who would still vote for the party if given the chance. Indeed, one imagines that even the 60% includes voters who might vote AL were they on the ballot. What this means for engagement with a party that remains recalcitrant and unrepentant for its sins in office is unclear, but what is clear is that this is a question the incoming BNP government will need to grapple with.Polls were RightFor those paying attention to the polling, the election results came as no surprise. The Innovision polling proved to be particularly accurate, which goes to show that we need to listen more to the professionals when it comes to understanding our political reality, and less to anecdotal evidence, social media chatter, and our own anxieties.Facebook is not LifeBuilding on the last point, we need to understand that the world we see reflected on social media bears only a passing resemblance to the reality on the ground. In the age of social media, we tend to give more weight and credence to those who make the most noise, and get stuck in our own information bubbles. But the silent majority is a real thing in Bangladesh. Don’t believe everything you see online.Appetite for ReformIn the end, the referendum passed easily. This only serves to underline the public hunger for reforms that will help bring about better governance in future and ensure that we never return to the bad old days prior to the Uprising. Questions may be raised about the number of people voting in the referendum compared to those voting in the election, and which articles the BNP feels itself bound to deliver, but reform is a must.Time to Move ForwardThe elections underscored how important it is for Bangladesh to move forward in a unified manner. The public has had enough rancour and division and is looking to the political parties to work together in a mature and responsible way. The (for the most part) civil environment that surrounded the elections needs to be maintained as we return to democracy. Bangladesh only works if we are all in this together and we simply cannot afford to return to a winner-takes-all-world where the government and oppostion are sworn enemies, putting their interest above that of the nation. We need to turn the page on that chapter of our history.Thanks to the Interim GovernmentThe final duty of the Interim Government was to hold a good election, and this they delivered with aplomb. There had been serious security concerns in the run-up, but in the end, voters were able to vote freely and in safety. In addition, the process was a model of smoothness and efficiency, and while there were isolated incidents and instances of impropriety, for the most part the elections went without a hitch. The Interim Government as a whole, and specifically the Election Commission and law enforcement apparatus, deserves full credit for providing Bangladeshi with our first free and fair general election since 2008.