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US lawmakers have warned Bangladesh against suspending political parties ahead of the February elections. They stress that inclusive polls are vital to uphold democracy and avoid eroding public trust.
The lawmakers said they were concerned that this goal could not be achieved if the government suspended political parties.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 24, 2025 07:05 IST
Amid ongoing unrest, a group of US lawmakers has warned Bangladesh’s interim government that suspending political parties and restarting "flawed Crimes Tribunal" could jeopardise the credibility of elections due in February, urging a fully inclusive and fair vote.
This comes after the interim Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, reaffirmed his commitment to holding general elections on February 12, saying the country was determined to restore democratic rights that had been stolen by an autocratic regime.
In a letter written to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Representatives Gregory W Meeks, Bill Huizenga and Sydney Kamlager-Dove said banning an entire political organisation risks disenfranchising large sections of the electorate and weakening democratic legitimacy.
"We welcome your willingness to step forward at a moment of national crisis in Bangladesh to lead an interim government ahead of elections in February," the lawmakers wrote. They stressed that it was vital for the interim administration to work with parties across the political spectrum to create conditions for free and fair elections that allow the voice of the Bangladeshi people to be expressed peacefully through the ballot box.
CONCERNS OVER PARTY BANS
The lawmakers said they were concerned that this goal could not be achieved if the government suspended political parties or restarted what they described as the flawed Crimes Tribunal. They warned that such steps could further erode trust in state institutions at a time when confidence is already fragile.
Pointing to past polls, the letter noted that the US Department of State and other international observers had concluded that Bangladesh’s 2018 and 2024 general elections were not free or fair. It also cited a February fact-finding report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which estimated that security forces killed around 1,400 people during protests in July and August 2024.
"Genuine accountability for these acts should model the values of Bangladesh’s democracy, rather than continue a cycle of retaliation," the lawmakers wrote, emphasising that freedom of association and individual -- not collective -- criminal responsibility are fundamental human rights. Suspending an entire party, they said, runs counter to those principles.
LAWMAKERS CALL FOR INCLUSIVE FEBRUARY POLLS
The lawmakers urged Yunus or a future elected government to revisit any decision that blocks parties from participating, saying the Bangladeshi people "deserve to be able to choose an elected government in a free and fair election in which all political parties can participate".
Calling Bangladesh a "critical partner" of the US, they added that Washington stands ready to work with Dhaka to support both the bilateral relationship and Bangladesh’s democratic transition in the months ahead.
Earlier, US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor held a telephone conversation with Muhammad Yunus, praising Yunus’s leadership during recent trade talks that led Washington to reduce reciprocal tariffs on Bangladeshi goods to 20 per cent.
- Ends
With inputs from agencies
Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Dec 24, 2025
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