On March 27, 2023 Peace And Justice, a civil society non profit organization organized an event on “Importance of Free, Fair and Neutral Election 2023 to hold accountable Bangladesh authoritarian Regime” jointly with the Global Democracy Coalition under the umbrella of Partners of Democracy Day. The panelist from the Centre for Law and Democracy, The Coalition for a World Security Community, Khmer National Government-in-exile(Denmark), and Peace And Justice Alliance has agreed with the following statement of the facts:

 Please find the Peace And Justice Alliance statement regarding the present Bangladesh democracy and human rights situation.

 Like other illegitimate and corrupt regime around the world Since 2009, Bangladesh present autocratic regime to stop critics & oppositions also keep power prolong period without people mandate has been patronizing mass corruption; ruling party members, corrupt bureaucrats, business man’s has been money laundered billions of billions of dollars poor people assets to the foreign countries. Bangladesh people have observed stolen elections in 2014 & 2018 without voters, there are huge allegations of ballot stuffing, vote rigging and voter intimidations, now to control peaceful protesters & critic’s brutal Govt. misusing controversial acts & laws (digital security act) & using spyware, surveillance tools & CC Cameras all over the country. In 2009 to 2023 it needs to be mention here that huge arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths enforced disappearances, open fired and killed peaceful protesters and inhuman torture cases happened in Bangladesh. Many opposition activists and critics have been living with severe disabilities; political prisoners are kept years after years in the prison without fair trial and justice.

Politically recruited civil and armed forces officials and judges have lost their neutrality as public servants. Public employees are used as government weapons of oppression, rather than protecting the public interest. In Bangladesh, Arbitrary arrest, detention, custodial death, extra judicial killings and enforced disappearance are the tools of state repression, which has frequently been used by Bangladesh's present regime to silence dissenting voices. The government is cracking down on political dissidents and opposition activists.

Bangladesh is no more a people’s democratic republic; rather we can term it a Police state. The law enforcement agencies, armed forces and judges have lost their neutral character. They are used as government weapons of oppression, rather than protecting the people's rights and security.

The free, fair and a credible election is one of the prerequisites of democratic governance and good governance of any country. This has disappeared in Bangladesh. In 2011 the present ruling party government blocked the way of free, fair & neutral elections by amending the constitution. In the context of Bangladesh Political situation, a free fair election cannot be achieved under the supervision of the ruling political party government. Democracy can be restored in Bangladesh by ensuring a free fair inclusive general election.

 The general 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS – National Parliament or Assembly) elections due to be held in December 2023 or January 2024, Hasina is seeking to win a fifth term overall and a fourth consecutive term as the prime minister of Bangladesh.

 But at present in Bangladesh all the political parties and civil society organization has declared that they do not have any believes on election commission and will not participate in the coming election under ruling party government they have been demanding free, fair and inclusive election and to reinstate the non party neutral government to conduct the 12th National Parliament election in 2023

People of Bangladesh are waiting to get urgent intervention of the International community to hold accountable the perpetrators and kleptocrats of the autocratic regime, also to free all the political prisoners and 78 year old terminally ill former PM Begum Khaleda Zia, create an atmosphere of fair election in 2023 under neutral government, end all the atmosphere of fear and abuse of power. 

 To hold accountable the authoritarian  regime of Bangladesh initiate urgent measures to fully implementation of The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability act 2016, The Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018, OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, 1997-2021, the Global Fragility Act-2019, and the ENABLERS Act, 2022.

 Therefore, to avoid future conflict and crisis it is necessary that transatlantic as well international community urgent intervention & solidarity only hope to restore neutral and fair voting system 2023, democracy, human rights, stop mass bribery, corruption, money laundering and recovery poor people stolen assets from the kleptocrats to hold accountable Bangladesh authoritarian  regime.

 We are asking global leaders, civil society, human rights, press freedom, academic freedom, legal advocacy, social justice, scholars, activists and other relevant organizations to please endorse this statement. Please circulate this request to other potential signatories.

 Look forward to working with your organization for global freedom, democracy and human rights for all.

 Endorsements are requested by June 30, 2023.

 Questions may be sent to peaceandjusticealliance@gmail.com