by Martin Banks
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called for a boycott of national elections due to take place on 5th January. It wants to bring down the interim government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
But, speaking exclusively to European Business Review, Ismat Jahan, the Bangladesh Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, said it was "important" the poll involves all parties.
With the country facing a "critical point" in its history, she urged the EU and wider international community to press the BNP to drop its call for an all-out agitation in the run-up to the election.
"These are very trying times for Bangladesh and we are poised at a critical junction in our democratic process," she stated.
With the country in the grip of strikes and violent protests which threaten to destabilise Bangladesh ahead of its general election, she went on to warn of the dangers of "extremists" gaining ground.
"What is happening in the country at present with blockades and acts of violence amounts to terrorism”.
"Is it in the interest of Europe and the EU to see fundamentalist forces gain ground in the country? I think not”.
"This is why I would like to see the EU and others in the West help ensure these elections are not only free and fair but also inclusive."
She welcomed the recent intervention by Baroness Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign affairs chief, who also called for inclusive elections.
But Jahan, a career diplomat, says she would still like the EU, the biggest trading partner for Bangladesh, and others to be "more vocal" in speaking out for democratic forces in the country.
"All elections are internal affairs and this is something that needs to be respected. But it is also vitally important that the elections, on 5th January, are seen to be free and fair by our international partners.”
"We have asked for the EU to send a team to monitor the elections and it is crucial now that the EU uses all the means at its disposal to make it clear to the opposition parties that a boycott is simply not an option."
The US and EU are worried that an election without the BNP would only make matters worse and have called for all parties to reach a compromise so that an "inclusive election" can take place.
Some have not ruled out the possibility of rescheduling the polls or of imposing a state of emergency to arrest the slide towards anarchy.
But Jahan, a former ambassador to the UN, said, "Some may argue that an election without the participation of the BNP is 'meaningless' but I want to stress that this is most certainly not my view."
On relations with the EU, she said, "There is always room for improvement but relations with the EU are good and based on what I call 'active engagement'. I am also glad to say that Bangladesh has now moved from being aid dependent to trade dependent."
"I remain hopeful that good sense will prevail and that elections will still be held on the due date."
However, she warned of the "destabilising" impact of the current turbulence in the country, and adds, "My message today to the EU is: be engaged and do not abandon us."
In mid-November, an ‘all-party’ interim government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League was formed to oversee the forthcoming elections.
During a similar crisis in 2007, the military intervened and installed a caretaker government to carry out political reforms and address corruption.
However, speaking in Brussels, Jahan said she opposes current demands for a similar caretaker administration because she fears it would partly comprise "unelected" representatives.
"In my view, there can be no question of a caretaker government," she declared.
The election date was set by the Election Commission which has said that the Jamaat-e-Islami, an influential Islamist party, is ineligible to contest the polls in line with a court order.
Jahan, who has held similar posts in New York and the Netherlands, praised the work of the Commission since it was set up five years ago.
"It has overseen a total of 5,800 elections and has come of age," she said.
She is similarly supportive of Bangladesh’s international war crimes tribunal, which is expected to hand down further convictions in the weeks ahead.
She says that despite some criticism of the process, there is widespread international support for the need to hold those responsible for atrocities to account.
The tribunal has faced criticisms, both from national and international sources, despite the great care that Jahan says has been taken to address the "terrible" crimes against humanity perpetrated four decades ago during Bangladesh's drive for independence.
The nine-month Liberation war in 1971 secured independence for Bangladesh, but at a huge cost.
Estimates range from 300,000 to 3m killed often in gruesome ways; countless more were tortured. Over 200,000 women were subject to rape, and as many as 10 million fled their homes towards India to escape the violence.
More than 10 million people were forced to take refuge in India to escape brutal persecution during Bangladesh's nine-month war in 1971.
The tribunal was established in March 2010 and the first trial began in October 2011.
To date, 15 people have been convicted and others will be tried.
Jahan said, "Any legal tribunal takes time, of course, but I believe the process has been free and fair and has also managed to draw international attention to the atrocities committed during the war."
By: N. Peter Kramer
