Dhaka, Feb 9, 2026:
Bangladesh Public University Progressive Teachers’ Platform has called for a boycott of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election unless the participation of all political parties is ensured, describing the current electoral process as “one-sided and controversial.”
In a statement issued on Monday, the organization demanded the immediate suspension of the election. The statement was signed by its office secretary, Dr. Mahbub Alam Pradip, Associate Professor of the Department of Public Administration at Rajshahi University.
The teachers’ platform emphasized that Bangladesh was born through a long history of struggle and sacrifice, culminating in the Liberation War, and that the Constitution—framed in light of that history—guarantees fundamental rights to all citizens irrespective of political affiliation,
religion, or ethnicity. Parliamentary elections, the statement said, are one of the primary constitutional mechanisms to ensure those rights.
The statement further noted that only through a free, fair, and neutral election with the participation of all political parties can a sustainable, democratic, and non-communal Bangladesh be built.
However, the platform expressed deep concern that since August 5, 2024, there have been continuous attempts to transform democracy into authoritarianism.
According to the statement, democratic institutions are being weakened,
freedom of expression is shrinking, Bangladesh’s international standing is being questioned, and efforts are underway to distort and undermine the history of the Liberation War.
The teachers’ platform alleged that, as part of this trend, a controversial election is being forcibly imposed on the nation without ensuring the participation of all political parties. They argued that such an election lacks any genuine connection to public opinion, political inclusivity, or international credibility.
Reaffirming their stance, the statement said the protection of democracy, the spirit of the Liberation War, and national sovereignty requires an inclusive, fair, neutral, and widely acceptable election involving all political parties.
“For the sake of peace, order, and stability in the country,” the statement concluded, “we strongly demand the immediate suspension of this one-sided and controversial election.”
