UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Monday urged the newly-elected government of Bangladesh to redirect its course towards democracy and expressed concern over the violence-marred atmosphere during Sunday’s poll.

Bangladesh’s 12th parliamentary election was conducted on January 7. The country’s army was deployed days earlier to keep peace ahead of the polls. The Awami League, Bangladesh’s ruling party, registered its fourth consecutive victory, which earned Sheikh Hasina a fifth term as prime minister of the country. However, the election was marred by attacks and crackdowns on opposition leaders. The polling day witnessed widespread violence throughout the nation, resulting in a low turnout of 40 per cent. Additionally, the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the polls and began a 48-hour strike on Saturday to disrupt the “fraudulent” election in an attempt to “restore democracy.”

Türk condemned the arbitrary detention of “thousands of opposition supporters” and implored the government to take the necessary steps to strengthen Bangladesh’s democracy. Further, he urged the government to undertake independent investigations into cases of human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, killings and detention in harsh conditions. “Democracy was hard won in Bangladesh and must not become cosmetic … The future of all Bangladeshis is at stake”, said Türk.

In addition, the US Department of State, in a press release on Monday, shared its belief that the “elections were not free or fair”. It conveyed its apprehension about the arrests of opposition members and the irregularities on polling day. The department also urged Bangladesh to undertake a credible investigation into instances of violence. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller previously advocated for non-violent “free and fair elections” in Bangladesh in a December 2023 press briefing.

On similar lines, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) underscored the importance of “credible, open, and fair competition” in democratic elections and added that “these standards were not consistently met during the election period.” It called upon the political parties to ” find a common way forward in the interests of the people of Bangladesh.”

Tensions escalated in Bangladesh in late October after the BNP held a massive rally that saw clashes with police. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported a massive crackdown on opposition leaders and activists by police, resulting in deaths, ahead of the January 7 election.