Right to Freedom, a platform that advocates for freedom of press and basic rights, called for fresh elections in Bangladesh under neutral authorities, said a statement issued by the platform on Tuesday.
In the statement, it said that the January 7 election was not ‘free and fair’ and it was a non-participatory one and it would not resolve Bangladesh’s ongoing political crisis.
‘The fears which we expressed in our December 29 statement on Bangladesh’s elections have now come to pass. As already noted by the United States, United Kingdom and others, Bangladesh’s January 7 elections can be considered neither free nor fair. More importantly, this election does not reflect the aspirations of the country’s citizens, the majority of whom chose to stay home, despite claims to the contrary by Bangladesh’s Election Commission,’ the statement said.
‘With this in mind, we call for a fresh election under a neutral government and appeal to the countries which see this election as ‘not free’ to do the same. In the absence of such action, we call upon these governments to withhold diplomatic and material support to the regime,’ it added.
The statement also read that Right to Freedom would remain committed to continuing its work to support the democratic aspirations of the people of Bangladesh while providing a platform to independent voices to hold accountable those who violate these rights.
