BNP leaders held a meeting with a high-level delegation of the European Parliament.
The hour-long discussion took place on Wednesday at 4:30pm at the European Union Embassy in Gulshan.
The five-member BNP delegation was led by Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan.
Other members of the delegation included Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Acting Chairman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, International Affairs Secretary Nasir Uddin Asim, and Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid.
The European Parliament delegation was led by Munir Sattori. Its members included Isabella Wiedder-Lima from Luxembourg (EPP), Arkadiusz Mularczyk from Poland (ECR), Urmas Paet from Estonia (Renew Europe), and Katarina Vieira from the Netherlands (The Greens).
After the meeting, Amir Khasru told reporters that the European Union expects democracy to be restored in Bangladesh as quickly as possible.
He said, “Bangladesh is heading towards elections, which are expected to take place in the first half of February. The European Union and European Parliament are satisfied with the direction of the election. They want Bangladesh to return to the path of democracy and to transition through a democratic process… We discussed these matters with them.”
He added, “In this context, we talked about what steps we will take going forward, their role, and the ongoing discussions among various political parties. The key point is that democracy must return to Bangladesh as soon as possible through elections… That is what the EU wants. All of us who desire democracy, along with the European Union, want a democratic order to be restored in Bangladesh quickly. The EU wants to assist in this, and the sooner we can accomplish it together, the better it will be for the country and for democracy.”
Request for Greater Trade Cooperation
Nazrul Islam Khan said, “The European Union has consistently supported both Bangladesh’s development and the establishment of democracy. It has continued this support and expects democracy to be restored in Bangladesh as soon as possible.”
“We requested that in addition to assisting with the consolidation of democracy, the European Union further increase its cooperation in trade with Bangladesh. The delegation agreed to this and expressed its interest,” he added.
He further stated: “We hope that, Inshallah, the long-standing aspiration of the Bangladeshi people—who have struggled for 16 years, endured disappearances, killings, and various forms of persecution, especially the widespread atrocities of last July–August—will soon be realized. According to the government’s announcement, elections will be held in February, Inshallah, and through these elections, our long-cherished dream of democracy will be restored.”
When asked whether the proportional representation (PR) voting system was discussed, Nazrul Islam Khan replied, “These specific issues were not part of the discussion. PR is not a current topic because, even if one agrees, this election will not be conducted under a PR system. That can only happen after a constitutional amendment is brought in.”
