Decision to ban AL lies with EC and govt, not us: BNP leader Moyeen

BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan today (9 May) said it is not the party's role to determine whether the Awami League should be banned, noting that such a decision lies with the Election Commission and the government.

Speaking to journalists at the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, the BNP leader said, "Some political parties are calling for a ban on the AL. But as BNP, we are not in a position to make that decision.

"Our secretary general has already said this is a matter for the people to decide — whether they want to allow such a party to participate in elections," he added.

Criticising Awami League, Moyeen said, "In the past nine months, not a single AL leader has admitted their authoritarian governance over the past 15 years or apologised to the people. Has anyone from their ranks said they want a people's mandate through a fair election? The answer is no."

Earlier in the morning, a six-member delegation from the US-based Carter Center, led by Jonathan Stonestreet, senior associate director of the center's Democracy Program, met with Bangladesh BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

A delegation from the USA met with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the party chairperson's office on 9 May 2025. Photo: BNP media cell

The meeting covered various issues, including the country's political and economic situations, the restoration of democracy, and the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Regarding the meeting, Moyeen said the discussions mainly focused on the overall political situation in Bangladesh and the possibility of the Carter Center observing the upcoming national election.

"If that happens, the main issues discussed are how it can be possible and when," he said.

When asked whether the meeting discussed the timeframe of the election, the BNP leader said, as quoted by BSS, "I also told them what happened in the history of Bangladesh. We saw a caretaker government after the fall of Ershad, which was also an interim government. But they gifted a fair election to crores of people of Bangladesh after 90 days, and till today, no one in Bangladesh criticises those polls."

"Therefore, it should be understood that there is no logic in taking a specific schedule to make the election fair and impartial. The election can be held within 90 days. It has already been nine months. These issues will come up for discussion among the people."

Stating that the BNP's position on the election has already been made clear, the senior BNP leader said, "You know, we have said that if the election is held by the end of this year, it will be acceptable to the people."

He cautioned that any unnecessary delay might worsen the current political, social, and economic situation in Bangladesh.

"Therefore, if the country's stability is disrupted for any reason, it will not be pleasant for the 18 crore people of the country," he added.

"That is why we have emphasised true representation of the people... that true representation can be determined only through a fair and impartial election. The sooner that election is held, the better we believe it will be for Bangladesh; we have told them."

Former US President Jimmy Carter founded this organisation in 1982. The organisation works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering in different countries.

The delegation is exchanging views with different political parties on the upcoming elections.

This meeting with BNP was held as part of the process.

The other members of the delegation were Senior Associate Directors Tara Sharif, Michael Baldassaro, Saira Zahedi, Daniel Richards and Kazi Shahidul Islam.