The Honorable Antony Blinken
U.S. Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Secretary
2201 C St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
May 24, 2023
Dear Honorable Secretary Blinken,
The Coalition for Human Rights & Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh) greatly appreciates your announcement on May 24, 2023, that the US will impose visa restrictions on people trying to prevent the holding of free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
However, a few concerns are raised as to the effectiveness of this measure if the election were to be held under the administration of the ruling regime, illegally in power since 2009. Its extremely negative and dangerous track record on election integrity and other democratic and human rights issues are known to the United States.
The sanctions against the Rapid Action battalion (RAB) of Bangladesh for its proven serious human rights crimes, produced some results, but unfortunately, far from solved the crisis. The notorious RAB continued its crimes unabated. What was even surprising was that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appointed two top sanctioned officials in succession as the fearsome and powerful Police Chiefs, in defiance of the sanctions. One of them, Benazir Ahmed, even visited the United States and addressed public meetings. The US must have noted that the Hasina regime is incorrigible.
Dear Secretary Blinken, once the election is rigged or defrauded in whatever way, the damage is already done. If the criminals are prevented from visiting the United States, that will not serve or save the election integrity as sought by the US. The election will remain tainted, and the people and the country will continue to suffer.
The US and the democratic West are aware that the elections in 2014 and 2018 in Bangladesh were totally farcical under the Hasina administration, and yet, they continued business “as usual” with the unelected and illegal regime, awarding it legitimacy. It is the people of the country who continued to suffer.
Under the provisions of the announced US visa restrictions, do you think, Mr. Secretary, that the criminals of 2014 and 2018 elections could be penalized in retrospect? If so, that will be a great step in resolving the crisis, because the criminal group belongs to the same ruling entity.
The ruling coterie already started propagating that the announced US visa restrictions are aimed at the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is campaigning not to go to polls under the ruling party and demanding elections under a Caretaker Government (CTG). The provision of an election-time CTG was in the constitution, but the Hasina administration repealed it in 2011 (not following the proper legislative procedure), ostensibly to manage the elections in its favor. The elections of 2014 and 2018 under it are glaring examples of massive frauds.
Secretary Blinken, the question before Bangladesh is not only election fraud but also how and under whom the election is held. In our previous letters addressed to you as well as in our many statements, we categorically stated that the Hasina administration is incapable of holding a free and fair election, irrespective of its umpteen promises and commitment to those who pressurize her for a credible election.
The only answer, Mr. Secretary, is an election under a non-partisan, neutral CTG. CHRD Bangladesh therefore, urges once again, for the Bangladesh illegal regime to immediately turn over the authority to a neutral CTG for holding the election within a specified time and ensuring the process of a democratic and patriotic governance in Bangladesh, one that it has not seen for decades.