As lawyers boycott poll, BNP urges citizens to vote

A group of Bangladeshi lawyers has expressed grave concern over the upcoming national election, describing it as a “dangerous deviation” from the country’s democratic traditions and announcing their decision to boycott the poll. They warned that the election risks becoming a staged exercise rather than a genuine expression of the people’s will.

The group of more than 700 lawyers had previously been largely aligned with the Awami League party led by Sheikh Hasina. In a press statement issued on Sunday, the lawyers said the forthcoming polls undermine constitutional guarantees of voting rights, freedom of expression, and meaningful political participation. According to them, organising an election without ensuring free, equal, and inclusive participation of all political parties constitutes a direct betrayal of the Constitution and the democratic spirit enshrined in it.The statement alleged that several major and representative political parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League, have effectively been excluded from the electoral process. The lawyers argued that an

election conducted in the absence of key political stakeholders cannot be considered legitimate and instead serves to artificially legitimize an unlawful consolidation of power.They further claimed that an atmosphere of fear and repression now dominates the political landscape. Allegations of violence, extrajudicial killings, false and politically motivated cases, excessive administrative control, and the

partisan use of state machinery, they said, have severely obstructed citizens’ ability to express their political will freely.Under such circumstances, voters are deprived of their constitutional right to choose their representatives without coercion or intimidation.

Strong criticism was also directed at the interim Government, which the lawyers accused of failing to act as a neutral caretaker of the electoral process. Instead, they alleged, the Government is behaving like an active participant in the election, thereby stripping the process of its “free and fair” character and directly contradicting the constitutional principle of equality before the law.

Serious concerns were raised over the accuracy and credibility of the voter list. The lawyers claimed that it has not been properly updated and includes fake and deceased voters, undermining transparency and public confidence. They also highlighted allegations of advance manipulation and irregularities in the newly introduced postal ballot system, raised by participating political parties, which have further deepened doubts about electoral neutrality.

According to the statement, proceeding with the election without conducting an independent, credible investigation into these allegations has called the neutrality of the Election Commission into question. Such conduct, they argued, is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of Article 118 of the Constitution, which mandates an independent and impartial Election Commission.

Quoting Supreme Court Advocate Aslam Mia, the statement emphasized the broader constitutional implications of the situation. “An election is not merely a procedural exercise; it is the highest expression of the sovereignty of the people,” Mia said. “For an election or referendum to be legitimate, it must be conducted under conditions that ensure political neutrality, equality of opportunity, freedom of expression, transparency, and public confidence. Unfortunately, the prevailing circumstances fail to satisfy these fundamental constitutional and democratic requirements in the upcoming 13th National Election and Referendum.” Mia further noted that the absence of a level playing field, the erosion of institutional independence, restrictions on civil and political rights, and the lack of public trust render the election constitutionally questionable. “A referendum held without the largest political party like the Bangladesh Awami League, genuine public participation, and informed consent cannot reflect the true will of the people and therefore lacks democratic validity,” he said.

The lawyers stressed that under constitutional principles and international democratic norms, any election conducted without credibility, inclusiveness, and fairness is liable to be rejected by citizens. Participation in such a process, they warned, risks legitimizing an outcome that does not genuinely represent popular sovereignty.

However, BNP Vice President and Mohila Dal leader Zeba Amina Khan urged voters who have decided not to vote to reconsider, calling on them to “come out of their homes and cast their votes for a better Bangladesh.”She said, “Sheikh Hasina has left the country with her family, but not the citizens who supported the Awami League. Now it is our responsibility to take care of them.”