UN secretary general concerned over violence in Bangladesh

The secretary general of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, has urged the political parties in Bangladesh to ensure the people’s human rights and respect their access to the rule of law, says his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, the spokesperson also disclosed that the secretary general is concerned about the recent violences in Bangladesh.

A journalist drew his attention to the 12th parliament election and asked if the UN secretary general will "stand beside the victims, oppressed and disenfranchised people of Bangladesh who faced ruthless crackdown by the regime in the name of so-called election.” He also noted that the election was a one-sided dummy election marred by polls-rigging, intimidation and boycott by all major political parties.

In response, Stéphane Dujarric said, “The secretary general calls on — and very publicly — for all parties to reject all forms of violence and to ensure that everyone’s human rights and everyone’s access to the rule of law are fully respected, and that is essential for the consolidation of democracy and economic prosperity in Bangladesh. And he is, of course, concerned about reports of the violence that we’ve seen.”

The 12th national election took place on Sunday, with the ruling Awami League ensuring another landslide victory to form the government for a fourth straight term.

However, a number of parties, including key opposition BNP, boycotted the polls, bringing the allegation of an engineered election system to consolidate the ruling party’s grip on power.