Workers Party, a 14-Party Alliance Partner, Opts Out of Voting Citing Six Reasons

Citing six reasons, including not being invited to dialogue by the Election Commission, the Bangladesh Workers Party, a partner of the Awami League–led 14-party alliance that has been ousted from power, has announced that it will refrain from participating in the upcoming February national parliamentary election.

The party claims that the Election Commission has “lost neutrality under special political pressure,” and that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus is moving toward a “one-sided” election.

Although there is no ban on its activities like the Awami League and its registration has not been suspended, the Workers Party announced its decision to stay away from the election in a press release on Monday. The statement also raised several allegations.

The Workers Party has been part of the Awami League alliance for more than two decades, and its president Rashed Khan Menon also served as a minister in the government.

The Awami League government fell in the mass uprising on August 5 last year. Alongside ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Menon is among former ministers facing trial at the International Crimes Tribunal.

Menon was arrested on August 22 last year from Gulshan in Dhaka.

According to the announced schedule that fixed February 12 as the date for the parliamentary election and referendum, Monday was the last day for submitting nomination papers, on which day the Workers Party announced its decision not to contest the election.

On the same day, another 14-party ally, the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, also made a similar announcement.

The Workers Party led by Menon said that, like the people, it also expects a fearless, free, fair, and inclusive election in the democratic journey of the country, and that the party had also made preparations for it.

“Although hope for a fair election was reflected in the address to the nation by the Chief Election Commissioner, in reality the stages of the election process are gradually becoming blurred, drifting away, and rendering the election uncertain.”

Explaining the reasons for refraining from the election, the Workers Party said, “Firstly: Under ‘special political pressure,’ the Election Commission lost neutrality from the outset and, despite having registration, did not invite the Workers Party and many other parties to dialogue during election preparations, nor did it issue any letters. Moreover, the Workers Party had submitted a ten-point proposal to the Election Commission through the Senior Secretary.

“Secondly: Following the announcement of the election schedule, the law and order situation in the country has deteriorated to an extreme level.”

The party cited incidents of political killings, insecurity of minority communities, the murder of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das, attacks on shrines, Sufi lodges, and Bauls, attacks on candidates, attacks and arson at newspaper offices, and vandalism of the Chhayanaut building and Udichi offices.

The Workers Party claimed that the Election Commission, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the interim government have all lost control in improving the law and order situation, which has put the election in serious challenge.

As a third reason, the party pointed to the conditions and cost related to election deposits and the purchase of CDs, saying this would increase the use of black money and push ordinary people, as well as honest and qualified individuals, out of the electoral field, failing to ensure a free electoral environment and a “level playing field.”

As the fourth reason, the Workers Party said that weapons looted from various police stations after the uprising, as well as illegal arms, have not been recovered, creating the risk of their use in electoral violence.

The party believes that the failure to recover those weapons is narrowing the path to a fair election.

As the fifth reason, the Workers Party alleged a planned political vendetta against political opponents.

The party accused government-backed “mob groups” of occupying its central office and the offices of its affiliated organizations since November 13. It said that despite submitting a ten-point memorandum and applications to the Chief Election Commissioner, no initiative has been taken by the Election Commission to recover possession of their offices.

Stating that they sought remedies from the police, the army, and the courts but received none, the Workers Party said the entire situation does not indicate a fearless and neutral environment.

The party also raised demands for the release of Rashed Khan Menon, withdrawal of cases against General Secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha, Politburo member Mustafa Lutfulllah, Central Committee member Rafiqul Islam Piarul, Tipu Sultan, and other leaders and activists.

As the sixth reason for not going to the polls, the Workers Party said that the Election Commission has taken no initiative to ensure the participation of all parties in the election.

The Workers Party said, “Blaming the previous government for the failure to hold a fair and participatory election, the government of Dr. Yunus, formed through the movement of August 5, 2024, is once again moving toward a one-sided election without the participation of all political parties. Through another flawed process, a vast section of the country’s voters and political parties are being pushed out of the election, which will not smooth the path of democracy in the upcoming election.

“Peace and stability will not come to the country by avoiding the political crisis. The country will fall into a new crisis. The Bangladesh Workers Party still believes that to restore the electoral environment, the government must expand the path to elections for all sides and ensure participation of everyone. If it fails to do so, the responsibility for the failure will have to be borne by the interim government.”