Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz has been quoted in news reports on Bangladeshi politics by German international broadcaster DW and Nikkei Asia. Ahead of the national election scheduled in January 2024, street agitations have intensified in the country demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and holding the election under a nonpartisan government. The ruling Bangladesh Awami League has declined to do so. The international community has called upon the government to ensure a free, fair, and inclusive election.
Recently, the European Union (EU) sent a six-member Election Exploratory Mission to see whether the environment is conducive to holding a fair election. Riaz told the DW that the EU can play a vital role in ensuring free and fair elections in Bangladesh. “The EU can highlight the benefits a democratic and inclusive Bangladesh will receive in terms of economic cooperation, social development, and access to EU markets,” he pointed out. “Although the EU’s leverage is more economic, the question is how far the EU is willing to use its leverage.”
In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Riaz commented on the ongoing violence, especially the police actions against opposition activists. He observed that Bangladesh is at a crossroads. “Either it will return to the democratic path through arranging a free, fair, and inclusive election or [it] will become a closed autocracy,” he said. Riaz said the coming weeks will determine the country’s trajectory. “Bangladesh cannot afford to have another engineered election like 2014 and 2018. Time is running out,” he said. “But the government’s recent attitude and behavior when pressed to ensure fundamental rights and an inclusive election are unprecedented,” he added. Riaz was also interviewed by Aljazeera English TV on July 29.
