41 Aussie MPs urge Yunus for election roadmap

As many as 41 Australian MPs wrote to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus calling for a specific electoral roadmap, justice for victims of the Monsoon Revolution and supporting justice for the victims of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

"We urge your administration to immediately and publicly announce a specific, time-bound electoral roadmap. This is an urgent and non-negotiable step toward ensuring credible, transparent and inclusive elections in Bangladesh," they said in a letter yesterday.

Delays or ambiguity at this stage will only deepen public distrust and jeopardise the country's democratic future.

"The people of Bangladesh and the international community are watching closely. We call on your leadership to act decisively. We are prepared to engage constructively to support this essential step toward restoring democratic legitimacy," the letter said.

The MPs include senators Larissa Waters, David Shoebridge, Jordon Steele-John, Fatima Payman, Lidia Thorpe, Penny Allman-Payne, Mehreen Faruqi, Steph Hodgins-May, Barbara Pocock, Peter Whish-Wilson, Dorinda Cox, Nick McKim, Sarah Hanson-Young, Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Abigail Boyd, Amanda Cohn, Katherine Copsey, Sue Higginson, Cate Faehrmann, Anasina Gray-Barberio, Aiv Puglielli, Sarah Mansfield, among others.

The letter comes at a time when Yunus remains unwilling to commit to a definite timeframe five months after announcing that the next general elections would be held between December this year and June next year.

The BNP is demanding the election at the earliest, but the newly-formed National Citizen Party says there should be comprehensive reforms before the elections.

Contacted, the Australian High Commission in Dhaka said it is aware of a letter sent to the chief adviser yesterday.

"As a part of Australia's robust democracy, parliamentarians regularly engage with members of the community and advocate on their behalf, including with foreign governments. The letter does not reflect Australian government policy," it said.

The Australian MPs said they recognise the bravery shown by the people of Bangladesh in the Monsoon Revolution, which has given the country a historic opportunity to restore democracy, uphold human rights and rebuild public trust in governance.

Bangladesh's path to stability and democratic legitimacy hinges on a transparent and credible electoral process, they said.

"The past three elections in Bangladesh did not have the legitimacy needed for a stable, democratic government."

It was important to restore electoral integrity and ensure a peaceful democratic transition, they said while urging Yunus to announce a clear election roadmap for free, fair and internationally monitored elections as soon as practically possible.

"The Australian Bangladesh community has made it known to us that they expect and hope this will occur this calendar year."

They called for using all available legislative and executive levers to produce a level playing field for all political parties, preventing undue influence or suppression.

"We look forward to Bangladesh embedding these changes, empowering your community and taking its rightful place as a friend and partner of democracies around the world."

They also said they have received multiple representations from the Australian Bangladesh community and thus they requested the interim government to hold accountable those responsible for past political crimes of violence through independent and transparent investigations and prosecutions.

They have also asked for a process of truth, justice and reparations to the victims and their families.

The MPs also called for immediate disbandment of RAB, saying repeated reviews have highlighted the force's involvement in severe human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

According to Human Rights Watch, over 2,699 people have been unlawfully killed by RAB since 2009, and the force has operated with complete impunity, silencing dissent and targeting political opponents.