An appeal was made for the intervention of the European Parliament to help restore democracy in Bangladesh and to lift the illegal ban imposed on the Awami League. The request was presented during an online meeting today with members of the European Parliament.
The meeting was held with Members of the European Parliament Ihoan Danielson and Evin Incir. Among those who spoke at the meeting were former Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, former State Minister for Information Professor Mohammad Ali Arafat, President of Sweden Awami League Dr. Farhad Ali Khan, General Secretary Zubaidul Haque Sabuj, and Vice President of Sweden Awami League and Swedish mainstream politician Dr. Humayun Kabir.
During the discussion, the speakers called on the European Parliament to take action against the ban on the Awami League, the alleged brutal repression against Awami League leaders and activists as well as religious minorities, the unprecedented rise of extremist groups, and what they described as the farcical election conducted by the illegal Yunus government.
Speakers at the meeting stated that a democratically elected government had been unlawfully overthrown, allowing fundamentalist forces to undermine democracy in Bangladesh. They argued that, as a continuation of this process, the controversial and widely criticized parliamentary election held on February 12 prevented a large portion of the population from exercising their voting rights, while the country’s largest political party, the Awami League, was not allowed to participate.
According to the speakers, the new government formed through what they described as the Yunus government’s illegal election has continued the policies of the previous interim administration. They alleged that repression, imprisonment, and human rights violations against Awami League leaders, activists, and pro-liberation citizens are ongoing.
The meeting concluded with a request to the European Parliament to take urgent steps to restore democracy in Bangladesh by ensuring the protection of democratic principles and fundamental human rights, and by immediately lifting what they called the unjust and extrajudicial restrictions imposed on the Awami League.
