Election will change scenario in Bangladesh, says prominent rights activist Manzill Murshid

Dhaka [Bangladesh], June 28 (ANI): Prominent human rights activist Manzill Murshid anticipated that the upcoming election in Bangladesh will bring significant change by establishing democratic rights.

Speaking to ANI, Manzill Murshid, President of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), stated that the current interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, lacks constitutional legitimacy as it wasn’t formed under the caretaker government provision. This has raised concerns about the timing and fairness of the election.

Murshid said, “If there is an election, there will be a big scenario change. When a party comes to power, we hope our democratic rights will be established. Of course, a political party cannot deny another political party the right to function and carry out its activities, as political parties are fundamentally about politics and democracy. But this government is not a political party government."

Manzill Murshid stated that Bangladesh did not proceed in accordance with the law after August 5. He said that Muhammad Yunus came into power as an interim government; however, there is no provision in the constitution regarding a caretaker government.

He said, “After the 5th August (2024), there was a conspiracy, in my opinion, the state did not proceed in accordance with the demand of the people, to hold a free, fair and inclusive election. Dr. Yunus came into power as an interim government, although there is no provision in the constitution for such a move. That should be a caretaker government. If they form a caretaker government, then there is a possibility to declare the election date earlier."

“But ultimately, when they took over the power, and long after, they did not say anything about the election, because they always say it takes five years after completing many kinds of reforms, they will declare the election. Some supporters of the government also share this idea. There was a very complex view in the minds of the people that there would be no election in the short term. Still, when a big party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP, raised their voice about the election, then the scenario changed," he added.

The government initially hinted at delaying elections until 2026, citing the need for reforms. However, following pressure from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other parties, a joint declaration was issued in London, suggesting that elections might be held in February.

“Ultimately, what happened was that the Chief Adviser went to London, met with the BNP’s acting Chairman Tareq Rahman, and there was a conversation. After the meeting, they issued a joint declaration, from which we know that an election will be held in February. But we are not sure because the Election Commission has not yet declared the schedule", Murshid said.

Murshid recalled that Yunus had said that he would not ban the Awami League. However, the interim government banned it after some of the student leaders and government partners demanded a ban on the Awami League. He criticised the government’s decision to ban the Awami League, questioning its impact on the electoral process. He emphasised that excluding major political parties undermines the legitimacy of the elections.

Murshid said, “Earlier, the Chief Adviser always told that they would not ban the Awami League. I think it was his mental condition. However, when our former president, Abdul Hamid, left the country, some student leaders and government partners raised their voices, arguing that the Awami League should be banned. They organised thousands of people in the street. But the government was not strong enough to stop the movement. Many demands were fulfilled because of the pressure."

“When NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami demanded to ban the Awami League. The government discussed with the political parties and declared that the activities of the Awami League would be banned. That means the Awami League can not work. If the political party can not work, that means the existence of the political party is nowhere," he added.

He stated that the questions will be raised over the next elections if the Awami League is not allowed to contest it. He stated, “During the last government, all international actors said that there must be elections in which all political parties must participate. But in the last three elections, the bigger party, the BNP, did not participate. That’s why the election was not accepted. However, in the upcoming election, the major party is the Awami League. If the Awami League does not participate, or the government does not give any chance to participate, the election will be questionable."

The right group leader also stated that the Election Commission reinstated the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami in accordance with the legal provisions. He said, “Jamaat-e-Islami has legal rights to register as a political party."

Murshid said there is no possibility for Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, to return to Dhaka at this stage, adding that her decision to leave the country was the right one to ensure her safety.

Murshid also emphasised the importance of enhancing relations between India and Bangladesh, particularly given the shared cultural and linguistic ties between the two nations. He urged both governments to collaborate on addressing visa issues and strengthening bilateral relations, regardless of their political differences.

Manzill Murshid said, “India is a big country. We have a big border with India. Some people in India, such as those from West Bengal, share a similar language and culture. We used to go to India. We have thousands of relatives in India. We used to go there for medical treatments and shopping, but this has been stopped due to a visa problem. Both the government and the opposition should take steps, without considering the political aspect, to maintain good relations for the betterment of both people. They should sit down and resolve their differences and make good relations through our foreign ministries." (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

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