U.S. Department of State
Office of the Secretary
2201 C St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
July 11, 2023
Dear Honorable Secretary Blinken,
The Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her resolve to hold the next election under her own administration citing the Constitutional provision, a provision that she herself carefully orchestrated 12 years ago to stay in continuous power by managing elections, in other words, through illegal means. That goes against the US’ pursuit of election integrity in Bangladesh.
The BD Today of July 7, 2023, quoting the widely circulated vernacular the daily Inqilab, reported that Sheikh Hasina would not lose control of the administration by accepting an election-time caretaker government. She was determined to hold the next polls under administration of her Awami League, irrespective of international pressures to the tune of such high voltage cyclones as Cidr (1991), Alia (2009) and Amphan (2020) that hit the region. She asserted that she successfully faced those challenges in the past and she would do it this time too. (http://www.newsbybd.net/newsdetail/detail/200/623785)
Constitutional Excuse
Hasina has carefully orchestrated in 2011 a constitutional amendment to discard the existing provision of a Caretaker Government (CTG) enacted in 1996, with a view to perpetuating her authority by managing elections. All the elections under her administration were condemned locally and internationally to be highly farcical. Allowing the Hasina regime to hold the next election would imply the replay of election frauds as was seen in 2014 and 2018.
Towards Another Farcical Election
Sheikh Hasina’s activities clearly point to her determination to continue illegally in the seat of power. Reportedly, 40,000 operatives of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of India maintain an extensive network in the country to help their protégé Hasina. Following are a few examples:
*Sheikh Hasina is in total defiance of the calls from the US and other Western democracies for a free and fair election. The US sanctions against human rights violations and visa restrictions against election defaulters have been totally ignored. Her extreme fascism, particularly on the opposition political activities, continued unabated.
*Hasina repeatedly vowed that under no circumstances, she would accept the CTG. She is fully aware that her government will miserably lose in a fair election under a neutral CTG.
*She issued directives to the law enforcing agencies, as well as to her party leaders and workers at all levels to thwart all opposition activities by using all possible means, including lethal.
*Reshaping the election administration in a way not to be impacted by the US visa restrictions.
*Generating funds, in addition to their huge plunder of the country’s resources, to pay incentives to the election officials and party operatives engaged in rigging the election, as they did in the past.
*Sheikh Hasina has continuously been lashing out at the US for its stand on human rights and free election in Bangladesh, at the same time siding with China, Russia, India and Iran who are opposing the US for its so-called “interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.”
*She is engaged in seat-sharing arrangements with a few bought out opposition segments and groups for a predetermined victory.
In view of the above situation, the Coalition for Human Rights & Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh) requests the State Department once again to assertively and effectively thwart the illegal efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to defraud the ensuing national election too.
Dear Secretary, the next election must be held under a neutral CTG to ensure credibility and election integrity as sought by the Biden administration. Allowing the Hasina government to hold the next election will be a replay of what we have seen and experienced in 2014 and 2018.