The Dhaka University Blue Panel—the pro-Liberation War forces aligned with the spirit of independence and long associated with Awami League ideals—has launched a scorching condemnation of the upcoming national election, branding it utterly unacceptable and a blatant fraud without the participation of the Bangladesh Awami League and numerous other pro-independence political parties.
In a hard-hitting press statement signed by Prof. A.K.M. Jamal Uddin on Monday, the Blue Panel teachers declared without mincing words: A national election or referendum conducted without the full participation of all political parties amounts to nothing less than mockery and outright deception of the entire nation.
They expressed profound alarm that the 13th national election, stripped of genuine inclusivity, cannot possibly reflect the true will of the people.
Rooted firmly in the ideals of the Liberation War, the Blue Panel emphasised that the people’s overwhelming expectation from the interim government was crystal clear: Deliver a fair, democratic election with every political party participating, ensuring the government formation truly mirrors the collective voice of all citizens. But the grim reality is the polar opposite.
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By deliberately preventing the Bangladesh Awami League—along with many other parties steadfastly on the side of independence and the Liberation War—from taking part, the regime and its compliant Election Commission have completely failed to create even the basic conditions needed for a credible, free, and participatory election.
The statement pulled no punches: preserving democracy, upholding the sacred spirit of the Liberation War, and defending Bangladesh’s sovereignty make a genuine, impartial, and fully inclusive election with all parties essential. Without securing the people’s right to vote in a truly participatory manner, this process will hold zero credibility—neither among ordinary Bangladeshis nor in the eyes of the international community.
They warned that such an unjust, flawed exercise would severely damage the nation’s image, fuel prolonged political conflict and violence, and sabotage Bangladesh’s broader socio-economic development for the long term.
The Blue Panel pointed to overwhelming consensus: leading institutions, including CPD, TIB, the Dhaka University Teachers’ Association, journalists, doctors, engineers, agriculturists’ unions, and the country’s top think tanks have all repeatedly advised the authorities to organise an inclusive election encompassing the Awami League and all parties. Ignoring this unified call is dangerously arrogant.
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The group issued a direct, uncompromising appeal to the current regime: Immediately back away from this one-sided, exclusionary sham of an election. Instead, urgently arrange a free, fair, and fully inclusive national election with the Bangladesh Awami League and every other political party at the table.
This fiery rebuke lands amid escalating fury over the interim Yunus administration’s exclusionary tactics—barring the Awami League (Bangladesh’s founding party) through bans, deregistration, and legal persecution while rushing toward the polls.
Critics view the vote as an engineered legitimacy grab for the post-2024 coup order, risking deeper instability and a betrayal of the democratic principles forged in the Liberation War’s blood. The Blue Panel’s stand highlights a widening rift: Without broad inclusion, this “election” threatens to erode trust in the system and invite further turmoil.
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