London, May 29 (IANS) Highlighting the continuous persecution of religious minorities and collapsing law and order situation in Bangladesh under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, several top British MPs have once again called for early, impartial and inclusive elections in the country.
The call was made during a meeting of the ‘Conservative Friends of Bangladesh’ held at Westminster which was chaired by Lord Jonathan P. Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.
Member of Parliament (MP) from North Bedfordshire and Shadow Chief Secretary Richard Fuller, MP from Orpington and Shadow Transport Secretary Gareth Bacon, MP from Harrow East Bob Blackman, who is also the Chairman of the 1922 Committee and Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, participated in the meeting and voiced their concerns over the prevailing situation in Bangladesh.
Blackman, a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament from Harrow East, raised the issue of daily threats being faced by the minority communities in Bangladesh and urged for holding inclusive elections in the country.
Fuller, a British Conservative Party MP from North Bedfordshire, underlined the fragile situation in Bangladesh under the Interim government and called on the British government to work closely with the Bangladesh authorities to expedite the democratic reforms leading to general elections.
The Shadow Transport Secretary and British Conservative Party MP from Orpington, Gareth Bacon mentioned that the political transition in Bangladesh has not been smooth and called on all stakeholders to work together to stabilise the situation and prepare the grounds for early elections.
In his remarks, Lord Jonathan P. Marland expressed hope that Bangladeshis will be able to overcome the future challenges with the help of friends and well wishers from home and abroad and hoped that the British Conservative Party and the Conservative Friends of Bangladesh will be able to work out a mechanism to help Bangladesh come out of this crisis situation.
Overall, the participants expressed grave concern over the plight of minorities due to disturbed political situation and also dwelt on fragile economic conditions. They pledged help and support from Conservative Party leaders and members to hold a free, fair and inclusive election, revival of the economy and ensure adequate safeguards for minorities.
Earlier, on April 8, Senior British politician and prominent jurist Lord Alex Carlile of Berriew chaired the seminar on ‘Democracy, Human Rights, Good Governance, Rule of Law and the role of Political Parties in Bangladesh’s current political landscape’, held at the House of Commons in the British Parliament.
The event was organised by Conservative MP Bob Blackman who called for “sincere efforts” to make the upcoming elections in Bangladesh fair, impartial and inclusive.
In his message, King’s Counsel John Cammegh advised the Bangladeshi government to prioritise political, social, and economic democratization over establishing an International Criminal Tribunal against the previous government. He warned that such tribunals often serve as tools for “political retribution”, fostering division and anxiety. Asserting that it will only help the income of legal advisors, he advocated for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to promote unity and healing in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is expected to return to Dhaka from London by May 5. She was taken to the UK for advanced treatment on January 8.
It is expected that the issue of holding elections in the country will gain momentum after Zia’s return.
Pressure has been growing on Yunus to set date for General Elections. He had earlier stated that the elections in Bangladesh could be fixed by the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026.
–IANS
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