Bangladesh elections cannot be free and fair in absence of Awami League: Former Foreign minister

The upcoming elections in Bangladesh scheduled for February 12 will not be free and fair in the absence of country’s oldest political party Awami League, according to its senior leaders.

Excluding the Awami League, which led Bangladesh’s independence movement in 1971, from the elections will not lead to stability in the country, said Hasan Mahmud, former Foreign Minister under the Awami League government.

Mahmud met a selected group of media on Saturday evening here and stated that the Awami League and India have historically enjoyed good relations.


Denying the party that led the war of independence of Bangladesh and ruled the country several terms will mean that the election will be nothing but an arranged one, and no stability will return to Bangladesh through such a process, said Mahmud.

Responding to questions about forming a government in exile, Mahmud stated, “We will return to Bangladesh with Sheikh Hasina leading us to form a government.”

The Yunus-led regime in an undemocratic move has banned the Awami League and has debarred it from contesting in the elections.

He also expressed doubt over whether the elections would actually be held on February 12, as promised by the Bangladesh Election Commission. The Awami League leader stated that the party has launched a global campaign against the atrocities of the interim regime in Dhaka that was targeted the minorities.

Mahmud also accused the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of preparing a biased, one-sided and fabricated report on violations under the Sheikh Hasina regime during student-led unrest in July and August 2024 in the country.

The former Foreign Minister said that a formal objection will be submitted to the UN Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies against the OHCHR report and its authors, accusing the Commission of endorsing a narrative that supports oppression rather than the oppressed.

Former Bangladesh Education Minister under the Hasina government, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel, who also addressed the media said, "We have gathered to hand you a report made by an organisation on the UN report, which was a one-sided report, done hastily, without any tangible evidence from our side--no witness statements, no testimony from the accused."

He also stated that Awami League leaders were not formally informed when the UN report was being prepared.

As many as eight Hindus have killed in the past two weeks in Bangladesh. The Awami League is compiling a comprehensive account of killings and atrocities since the August 2024 revolt, intending to submit findings to the OHCHR, European Union, and Commonwealth Secretariat for independent verification or action.