4 British MPs call for Bangladesh’s general election to be inclusive

Four British members of parliament have called for Bangladesh’s general election to be inclusive, saying no vote can be considered as “democratic” without the participation of all major political parties.

The four members of the House of Commons are Bob Blackman, Jim Shannon, Jas Athwal, and Chris Law.

In a joint statement, the Labour backbenchers noted that Bangladesh stands at a critical crossroads as it awaits the elections scheduled for February 12.

“All right-minded people hope that these polls will contribute to a just, stable and prosperous Bangladesh, but that will best be achieved if the election is genuinely participatory and preferably endorsed by impartial international observers,” the statement read.

All activities of the Awami League were banned in May last year following the ousting of the government in the July Uprising .

In the same month, the party’s registration as a political entity was also suspended.

Referring to these developments, the British MPs expressed their concern: “We are worried about the current ban on widely supported political parties, which disregards guidance from the United Nations, as well as from the UK and Bangladesh's other longstanding allies.

“Without free, fair and inclusive elections, millions of ordinary Bangladeshis will be disenfranchised and simply will not vote at all.”

The statement continued, “Any election held without the participation of all major parties cannot be considered democratic. Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, itself unelected, should not have imposed this restriction on Bangladesh's voters.”

Observing that Bangladeshi politics has long been “deeply polarised”, the MPs said all political parties share some of the blame for this.

They, however, stressed that to establish national unity and revitalise stalled economic development, any future government must govern based on the people’s consent.

“Bangladesh must use these elections to establish a culture of political pluralism, in which opposition parties can constructively play a role,” they added.

Highlighting the United Kingdom’s position as one of Bangladesh’s “closest partners”, they said: “We are troubled by credible reports of politically motivated detentions, structural failures within the judicial system, and the arbitrary arrest of media professionals.

“We call upon the British government and international bodies such as the United Nations to ensure that Yunus upholds his commitment to democratic principles, protects the civil rights of all Bangladeshi citizens, and guarantees these elections are free, fair, and inclusive.”