US lawmakers question party ban, urge inclusive election in Bangladesh

They raise concern over a total ban on a political party ahead of the February election

A group of influential US lawmakers has called on Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure the national election, slated for February, is free, fair, and inclusive of all political stakeholders.

In a letter addressed to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday, Representatives Gregory W Meeks, Bill Huizenga, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove expressed concern that banning an entire political organisation could disenfranchise a significant portion of the electorate.

The lawmakers, representing the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its subcommittee on South and Central Asia, noted that while they supported the interim administration’s role during the national crisis, the exclusion of a major party is inconsistent with fundamental human rights and the principle of individual criminal responsibility.

The push for inclusivity follows the government’s move to proscribe the long-standing former ruling party Awami League and its student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League after the July Uprising.

They said it was vital to create conditions for elections that allow the Bangladeshi people to express their will peacefully through the ballot box, alongside reforms to restore confidence in the integrity and nonpartisanship of state institutions.

They warned that suspending political party activities or restarting the “flawed” International Crimes Tribunal could undermine these objectives.

“Freedom of association, as well as the principle of individual rather than collective criminal responsibility, are fundamental human rights,” the letter read.

“We are concerned that the decision to fully suspend the activities of any political party -- rather than focusing on individuals determined to have committed crimes or gross human rights violations through due process of law -- is inconsistent with these principles,” it added.

“We hope your government, or an elected successor, will revisit this decision.”

Signatories of the letter, which also included Representatives Julie Johnson and Tom Suozzi, stressed that the Bangladeshi people deserve to choose their leadership in a contest where all parties can participate.

The correspondence, published on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s website on Tuesday, serves as a significant diplomatic nudge as the country prepares for its first general election since the fall of the previous administration.