<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><font color="#085294">The Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) response to the Commonwealth Secretary-General's press statement on 5th January 2024.</font></span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>BNP Senior Joint Secretary-General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said this in a press release on 6 January (Saturday).</div><div><br></div><div>Ruhul Kabir said that the Commonwealth SG’s call shocked the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh who have been disenfranchised by the regime for more than a decade.</div><div><br></div><div>He said, "It has come to the attention of the people of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP that the honorable Commonwealth Secretary-General (SG), in a press release issued on 5 January, only 2 days ahead of the much-disputed lopsided dummy election scheduled on 7 January 2024, being held against the will of the people, called on all political and civic leaders in Bangladesh to contribute to a 'conducive environment for citizens to peacefully exercise their right to vote' on 7 January."</div><div><br></div><div>Honorable SG’s call misses many crucial issues surrounding the upcoming farcical 7 January election. The SG’s statement does not reflect the ground reality in Bangladesh. We believe her statement contradicts the desires and aspirations of the pro-democracy Bangladeshis who have been striving for a free, fair, inclusive, and credible election for more than a decade, said Rizvi.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said, "The SG Scotland must be aware that the upcoming election is being boycotted by all the major pro-democracy political parties in Bangladesh. Only the ruling party-chosen dummy/independent candidates and fake opposition with ruling party blessings are made to participate in the election."</div><div><br></div><div>"Since the election result is already predetermined and the people have no real options to choose from among genuine contenders, there is no congenial environment and level playing field; the voters have also rejected the one-sided polls." He said, "The regime has now taken various unethical steps to demonstrate the presence of people, voter or no voters, at the polling center under coercion and intimidation, to make it look like participatory."</div><div><br></div><div>He also said, 'These stories are well covered by the local media (despite restrictions), social media, and the well-esteemed international print and electronic media. The Commonwealth Secretariat and the visiting CET must also be aware of the state of terror and fear created by the regime through extreme human rights violations like extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and rampant arbitrary arrests in the last 3 months. More than 27,000 opposition dissidents, including BNP Secretary-General and its top leaders, languishing in prison upon fictitious charges. Scores of people have been killed, tortured, and died in police custody.'</div><div><br></div><div>All the pro-democracy world and our international partners who believe in the rule of law and liberal values have also expressed their opinion for a free, fair, inclusive, and credible election of international standard in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, forcing all the pro-democracy political parties out of the election, creating a culture of fear, and designing a staged election by dummy candidates, dummy election observers, and dummy voters, the ruling autocratic regime of Bangladesh is conducting a sham election, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "The people of Bangladesh acknowledge the Commonwealth’s commitment to democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression. If the SG genuinely wants to echo the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh, as she mentioned in her statement, the people expect her to play a proactive role for the realization of the people’s right to vote under a neutral government and administration. The SG's statement is out of touch with the ground reality, given that this farcical exercise on 7th January does not even meet the minimum qualification to be recognized or termed as an election of any standard, under the UN Declaration of Human Rights article 21 and 21 (3) or the International Covenant on political and civil rights. The Secretary-General’s statement tends to support the renewal of the current autocratic regime through a highly fraudulent election that goes against the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh for the restoration of democracy through a genuinely inclusive and credible election."</div><div><br></div><div>Ruhul Kabir hopes, "We expect that SG Scotland understands that the pro-democracy people, civil society, and political parties want the Commonwealth to side with the people of Bangladesh and not with the current autocratic regime. As the people of Bangladesh strive for the restoration of their voting rights and fundamental liberties, the support of the Commonwealth will be highly appreciated."</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>