EU MPs ask for credible polls in BD, Khaleda’s release

Anisur Rahman Khan :
The demand for restoration of the caretaker government system for holding a free, fair and credible national election in Bangladesh along with an unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is gaining ground at home and abroad day by day.

The most political parties excepting the ruling Awami League (AL) led 14-party alliance have been waging a tougher movement in the country for reintroduction of the caretaker system as they believe that a free, fair and impartial election is impossible under the incumbent government.

Meanwhile, some Western and European countries have been exerting relentless pressure on the Bangladesh government to restore democracy through free, fair, credible and inclusive national polls in Bangladesh.
The recent announcement of the US visa policy for Bangladesh, six Republican US Congressmen’s letter to the President Joe Biden, Human Rights Watch statement and the latest six European (EU) parliamentarians’ joint letter to the High Representative of the EU parliament for taking actions to restore democracy in Bangladesh indicate a strong foreign pressure on the government for holding credible polls.

Some opposition political leaders have opined that that the attack on mayoral candidate of Islami Andolan in Barishal by the ruling party men has proved that no fair election is possible under the AL-led government.
So, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Ganotantro Manch and some other parties have been demanding for restoration of the caretaker government for the sake of Bangladesh’s democracy.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said there will be no compromise on the question of caretaker government, and it would be resolved on the streets, if necessary.
He also said that the issue of a caretaker government has remained alive and the world wants a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
The leaders of Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of some opposition parties, said the new US visa policy for Bangladesh has shaken the current government at a time when it was trying to cling to power by holding another unacceptable election.

The leaders said that the government wants to hold another ‘farcical’ election like 2014 and 2018.
Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said their alliance will continue the ongoing movement until the fall of the government and the demand for establishment of a poll-time neutral government for holding impartial elections is met.

Referring to the US visa policy, he said efforts are being made to foil the ruling party’s design to manipulate the next election.
Manna said it is not possible to hang onto power for a long time by resorting to vote rigging, fraudulence, deception and repressive acts.
Ganosanghati Andolon chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said the US has announced a visa policy for Bangladesh as the current government has snatched people’s voting rights in 2014 and 2018.
Jatiya Party chairman Ghulam Muhammad Quader on Tuesday said that the new US visa policy for Bangladesh will be helpful in holding the next general election in a free, fair and credible manner.
The United States expects free, fair and neutral elections in Bangladesh, he said, adding that they can’t expect a free, fair and impartial election under the current government.
He also emphasized the need for the election-time neutral government.

Meanwhile, six European parliamentarians in a joint letter on Monday urged the High Representative of the parliament for taking actions to restore democracy in Bangladesh.
The letter to Josep Borrell, also the vice-president of the European Commission, urged him for taking initiatives to ensure release of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, holding the upcoming national elections under caretaker government, an end to the violation of human rights and engagement of the government with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other major political parties to find out a sustainable and democratic solution to the ongoing crises.

The signatories to the letter are Ivan ŠTEFANEC (EPP, Slovak Republic), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, Czech Republic), Andrey KOVATCHEV (EPP, Bulgaria) and Karen MELCHIOR (Renew, Denmark), Javier NART (Renew, Spain), and Heidi HAUTALA (Greens/EFA, Finland).
‘With this letter, we would like to express our concerns about the violation of human rights in Bangladesh, and call to restore democracy and the rule of law in Bangladesh in view of its upcoming general elections,’ the joint letter read.

“Current government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazad of Bangladesh, in power since 2009, has curtailed the democratic space for the citizens and failed to show respect to their fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. To consolidate its powers, the regime has been resorting to extrajudicial killings, abductions, tortures and false cases against the leaders and activists of the opposition political parties,” said the letter.
It alleged that the freedom of expression including the freedom of press had undermined in recent years, most notably since the enactment of the Digital Security Act 2018.
High rates of extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances in the past decade continued to garner national and international concern, including from UN human rights, mechanisms such as the UN Committee against Torture (CAT). During her visit to Bangladesh, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on the government to ratify the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, said the letter.

‘We kindly ask you to contribute to ensuring free, fair, and impartial general elections possibly under a poll-time neutral caretaker government in Bangladesh, an end to the violation of human rights, release of Begum Khaleda Zia, and engagement of the government with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other major political parties to find out a sustainable and democratic solution to the ongoing crises,’ it said.