International reactions to Bangladesh’s next parliamentary election reveal subtle but important differences. Western nations continue to call for “free and fair” polls, while India has gone further, stressing the need for elections that are also “inclusive and participatory.” The distinction has become sharper since the Awami League was banned under the interim government’s executive order.
In past election cycles, Western governments consistently demanded free, fair, and participatory elections. This time, however, their statements often omit the word “participatory,” a shift that diplomats privately describe as sensitive given the Awami League’s exclusion. India, by contrast, has openly urged that the polls must be inclusive, signaling that the participation of all major political forces remains central to its position.
The divergence reflects long-standing differences. In 2014, India defended the 10th parliamentary election as a constitutional necessity despite the BNP boycott, while Western nations dismissed it as neither free nor fair. The 11th and 12th elections also drew contrasting evaluations from East and West.
Since the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024 after a mass uprising, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has lived in India. Dhaka has requested her repatriation, but New Delhi has not responded. India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently reiterated that New Delhi wants elections that are free, fair, inclusive, and participatory. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri added that India will work with any government formed through such a process, while noting that international perceptions of the election will shape Bangladesh’s future.
Western nations, meanwhile, have voiced strong support for the interim government’s reform agenda, particularly its focus on accountability for last year’s human rights abuses. The United States has described Bangladesh as being at a “critical juncture,” with ambassador-designate Brent Christensen calling the upcoming vote “one of the most important in decades.” The European Union will send a full election observation mission for the first time in 17 years, while Canada, the UK, France, Germany, and Australia have all emphasized the need for credible, peaceful, and democratic polls.
China has taken a different line, emphasizing stability above all. Ambassador Yao Wen warned that without a free, fair, and peaceful election, Bangladesh risks undermining its economic recovery. The United Nations and several international human rights groups have urged the interim government to lift the ban on the Awami League, warning that excluding the country’s largest secular party could jeopardize the return to genuine multiparty democracy.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said the government has no plan to formally respond to the rights groups’ letter, though he acknowledged their concerns are taken seriously. Former ambassador M Humayun Kabir noted that while Western nations emphasize broad public participation, India’s insistence on “inclusiveness” is widely interpreted as a call for the Awami League’s involvement.
As Bangladesh prepares for elections early next year, the international community’s nuanced positions highlight the stakes: whether the country can deliver a vote that is not only free and fair but also seen as legitimate both at home and abroad.
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