The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recently announced that it will continue to stage anti-government protests in the face of a rising crackdown by the ruling Awami League party. This includes boycotting the country’s imminent January elections. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the Senior Joint Secretary General of the BNP, cited to Al Jazeera that the BNP will not participate in the forthcoming election unless Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns and a caretaker government oversees the vote.
The BNP General drew a parallel with the experience of former President Hussain Mohammed Ershad’s autocratic rule in the late 1980s, stating:
“The experience of former President [Hussain Mohammed] Ershad’s dictatorial rule in the late 1980s shows us that staying with the people is more important than elections. Both Awami League and BNP had boycotted the 1988 election. We stayed on the streets, ensured a free and fair election, and the people brought us to power in 1991.”
Rizvi, alongside a significant portion of the BNP’s senior leadership, has faced arrest numerous times during Hasina’s term as Prime Minister.
According to Abdul Moyeen Khan, a representative of the BNP, who spoke with Reuters, the party’s protests will persist, aiming to restore the fundamental voting rights of the Bangladeshi people, despite the government’s increasing crackdown.
Furthermore, Julia Bleckner from Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed concern that the government, while claiming commitment to free and fair elections externally, is simultaneously filling prisons with political opponents. She has urged international partners to take heed of the situation and clearly articulate that future economic cooperation may be at risk due to the government’s autocratic crackdown.
This story is developing and was initially reported by JURIST – News.