JSD, Workers’ Party will not contest 13th parliamentary election

The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Bangladesh Workers’ Party have announced that they will not participate in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum.he Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Bangladesh Workers’ Party have announced that they will not participate in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum.

Both parties issued separate statements on Monday (December 29) confirming their decision.

JSD and the Workers’ Party were part of the 14-party alliance led by the Awami League from 2008 until August 2024. JSD president Hasanul Haq Inu and Workers’ Party president Rashed Khan Menon previously served as ministers in the government.

In a statement signed by JSD’s office secretary Sajjad Hossain, the party described the upcoming polls as “unconstitutional and one-sided,” adding that the interim government is not neutral.

The statement accused the Election Commission of turning the election into a farce by implementing the government’s political agenda instead of conducting a free, fair, inclusive, and participatory election.

The Workers’ Party said in its statement that the Election Commission has taken no measures to ensure participation of all political parties. The party added that it is being sidelined under political pressure, while the caretaker government formed under Dr. Muhammad Yunus on August 5, 2024, is pushing ahead with a one-sided election without inclusive participation.

The Workers’ Party further said the flawed process excludes a large portion of voters and political parties, undermining democracy and potentially creating new political instability. The party urged the government to restore an inclusive electoral environment, warning that failure to do so would hold the caretaker government responsible.