Bangladesh Awami League appreciates the outpouring of international support for the country's upcoming national elections, the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader said in a letter to Donald Lu, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the US Department of State and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, that also ruled out any possibility of dialogue.
In the letter dated November 15, 2023, Quader expressed gratitude to Lu and US Ambassador Peter Haas on behalf of Awami League for their support and assistance in ensuring a free, fair, and violence-free national parliamentary election.
AL expressed its commitment to upholding the democratic process and the sacred right of people to vote. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the President of AL, the current government in Bangladesh has implemented various reforms to make the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) an independent organization, including the introduction of photo-based voter ID cards, transparent ballot boxes, and a law for the appointment of election commissioners, Quader said in the letter.
The Bangladesh Election Commission has already announced the schedule for the 12th national parliamentary election, set to take place on January 7, 2024, with the last date for submission of nominations being November 30, 2023. AL expressed openness to dialogue with other political parties, but such discussions were hindered by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) insisting on the resignation of the current government as a precondition for any talks, he said.
The ongoing political unrest, including blockades and arson attacks orchestrated by BNP and its allies like Jamaat-E-Islami, Quader said, further complicated the possibility of meaningful dialogue. According to the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence, between October 28 and November 13, a total of 154 arson attacks have been carried out by blockade supporters, Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges minister also said.
AL highlighted that, despite the willingness to engage in dialogue, currently the conditions do not exist for meaningful discussions. With the election fast approaching, political parties, including AL, are focused on finalizing electoral tasks such as reviewing and confirming nominees, preparing manifestos, and strategizing campaigns.
Bangladesh Awami League expressed its gratitude for international cooperation and hopes that all international friends will continue to support the country in ensuring a free and fair election in a peaceful environment, added the letter
Quader was replying to a letter from Lu's office dated November 12, that said the US hoped to see the parties here engage in dialogue without conditions ahead of the election.