B’desh: BNP warns banning parties by executive order would set ‘dangerous practice’

Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) warned that imposing a ban on any political party through an executive order would set a “dangerous practice” and insisted that only courts have the authority to decide such matters, local media reported.

BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed made these remarks, speaking to reporters on Tuesday at his Gulshan residence in Dhaka.

“We do not support banning any party or its activities by executive order. If there are allegations against any political organisation — such as genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes — these must be brought to court,” Bangladeshi media outlet UNB quoted the BNP leader as saying.

Salahuddin stressed that the fate of a party should be determined only through a judicial process, and the Election Commission would then be bound to accept the court’s ruling.

Reacting to demands by the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and some other Islamist parties to ban Bangladesh’s Jatiya Party, along with the 14-party alliance, the BNP leader stressed that such matters should be decided through a legal process.

“If their allegations are genuine, let them raise them in court. Seeking to ban political parties through any other process, by executive order, would be a dangerous practice,” Salahuddin asserted.

The BNP leader also recalled that around 28 registered parties participated in the 2024 election. “If bans are sought in the name of fascism or dictatorship, then all 28 parties would need to be banned. Then with whom will the election be held?” he questioned

“In this country, those who are now demanding a ban on political parties — if they later say that they too will not take part in the election, then will there be any election at all? Their purpose behind such demands may be different. Perhaps they want to gain an extra advantage by calling for more parties to be banned,” he added.

Regarding the ban on Awami League, Salahuddin said that the party “demanded first that the Awami League, as a political party, should be brought to trial and the court will decide whether they can continue in politics or not.”

Commenting on the joint movement by Jamaat-e-Islami and some other Islamic parties demanding proportional representation (PR) and other reforms, Salahuddin affirmed that his party is totally opposed to the PR system.

“We are against PR everywhere (both the lower and upper houses). If any party wants it, they should put it in their manifesto and seek a mandate from the people. If the people support it, only then can they legislate,” he said.

The BNP leader also called the three-day protest programmes announced by the Islamist parties an apparent attempt to derail the next year’s election.

The parties that earlier collaborated with Muhammad Yunus to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, are now at loggerheads over reform proposals.

IANS