DHAKA, November 6, 2025 — Bangladesh’s former foreign minister and ex-permanent representative to the United Nations, Professor Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, has written to UN Secretary-General António Guterres urging urgent intervention to prevent what he calls an “exclusive and illegitimate election” in Bangladesh.
In a strongly worded letter sent on November 5 and copied to UNDP Acting Administrator Mr. Haoliang Xu, Dr. Momen warned that the upcoming national polls under the Muhammad Yunus–led interim government risk lacking “credibility, legitimacy, and public acceptance.” He cautioned that barring major political parties from participation violates both Bangladesh’s democratic principles and international law, including the UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 21), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 25).
“No election is considered lawful or democratic if major opposition parties are barred from participation,” Momen wrote. “Democracy without choice is not democracy at all.”
The former minister particularly criticized the UNDP-supported BALLOT initiative, saying it “risks being perceived as endorsing an electoral process that excludes Bangladesh’s largest political party plus other major parties.” He warned that such exclusion “would not only harm the UN’s credibility but contradict its own mandate to support free, fair, and participatory elections.”
Momen compared the situation to Bangladesh’s “voter-less election of February 1996”, which collapsed within 12 days due to public rejection. “Is history repeating itself?” he asked, suggesting that the current trajectory could lead to unrest and instability.
Calling for a “neutral, time-bound transitional mechanism” to oversee elections, Dr. Momen outlined three core demands:
- Full restoration of political participation without bans or restrictions.
- A free, fair, and transparent electoral process reflecting the people’s will.
- Immediate UN engagement with all political stakeholders to ensure inclusivity.
He also cautioned that silence from the UN at this critical juncture would be “interpreted as consent to an exclusionary and undemocratic process.”
“Bangladesh stands on the brink of another political crisis,” Momen warned. “The UN’s leadership is essential to prevent long-term instability and uphold the very values it demands of others.”
The full text of Professor Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen’s letter to the UN Secretary-General is reproduced below for readers in its entirety.
Excellency António Guterres
Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
05 November 2025
CC: Mr.Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Subject: Urgent Need for UN Action to Prevent an Exclusive and Illegitimate Election in Bangladesh
Dear Secretary General,
I write to express grave concern about the current direction of the electoral process in Bangladesh, which risks producing an election that lacks credibility, legitimacy, and public acceptance.
In democracies, no election is considered lawful or democratic if major opposition parties are barred from participation. No major democracies including the United States or the European Union or the United Kingdom would tolerate such an assault on democratic rights — their courts, institutions, and citizens would immediately reject it. Democracy without choice is not democracy at all.
These same principles are embedded in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 21), and ICCPR (Article 25). Elections excluding major political forces clearly violate these international standards.
It is therefore troubling that the UNDP-supported BALLOT initiative risks being perceived as endorsing an electoral process that excludes Bangladesh’s largest political party plus other major parties. The parties that are being excluded from participation have over 65 to 70% popular supports. Such an action would not only harm the UN’s credibility, but also contradict the UNDP’s mandate to support free, fair, inclusive, and participatory elections.
Promoting exclusionary elections may undermine UN’s credibility and may embolden those who are thinking of reducing their contributions to UN.
Mr. Secretary General,
The interim administration has announced elections without allowing key political parties to contest — despite their national support and decades of service in public governance. This approach mirrors the “voter-less election of February 1996” in Bangladesh which collapsed within 12 days due to lack of legitimacy. That government was forced to resign and to hand over powers to a “Caretaker government” to hold a free, fair, inclusive and participatory election in June 1996. Is history repeating itself?
Elections engineered without genuine participation will not restore stability, but instead deepen political division, weaken public trust, and risk long-term unrest. Democracy cannot be engineered through exclusion or imposed models lacking national ownership.
To avoid a damaging and destabilizing precedent, I urge the United Nations to take a clear and principled position by calling for:
1. Full restoration of political participation, without bans, restrictions, or targeted exclusions
2. A neutral, time-bound transitional mechanism to oversee a free, fair, transparent, and inclusive election
3. An electoral process that reflects the people’s will, not a pre-engineered outcome.
Given the seriousness of the situation, I respectfully request that the United Nations and especially I draw your attention to immediately:
• Engage all political stakeholders and facilitate an inclusive electoral roadmap
• Ensure that UN and UNDP initiatives uphold UN democratic principles, mandates and values
• Prevent the legitimization of an exclusive or one-sided questionable election
• Encourage a peaceful and credible transition aligned with international norms.
I believe such actions are consistent with the UN’s duty to protect democratic rights and prevent crisis. Without such action, the credibility of the UN’s commitment to democracy will be questioned.
Mr. Secretary General,
Bangladesh stands on the brink of another political crisis. Silence or delay at this moment will be interpreted as consent to an exclusionary and undemocratic process. The UN’s leadership is essential to prevent long-term instability and uphold the very values it demands of others.
With highest respect,
Professor Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen
Former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
Former Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations
