Fakhrul, Gwyn Lewis Discuss Democracy, Polls, Rohingya

The hour-long meeting, which began at 11am, was held at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the United Nations has a commitment to help restore the democratic order in Bangladesh.

To achieve this, he said, there must be democratic practices and mutual understanding among political parties.

The BNP leader said their party believes all must work together to bring back the democratic order in the present context.

He said people’s main demand right now is the restoration of democratic order. “That can only be ensured through a free, fair, and participatory election. We also discussed how the election, expected in the first half of February, can be held successfully.”

The BNP leader said the Rohingya issue was also part of the discussion and they talked about the situation of the Rohingyas, who were living in extremely difficult conditions.

“The discussion covered how the Bangladesh government and the international community can continue to work together to support them (Rohingya) . Ms Lewis assured that the UN’s support for the Rohingyas will continue until they can return to their homeland,” he said.

Praising Gwyn Lewis, Amir Khosru said they appreciated her contribution to democracy and human rights during difficult times in Bangladesh.

He said she played a courageous role on behalf of the UN, in line with its charter, to uphold people’s democratic, political, constitutional and human rights in Bangladesh.

Gwyn Lewis said she had a wonderful meeting with the BNP and noted that it showed how much progress had been made in the country at this important moment ahead of the February election.

She said the UN is working to support the Election Commission to ensure everything was in place at a technical level and that they will do whatever they can to assist in the coming months.

“There is a lot of work that I know all of the political parties have been engaged in to build consensus. And I think we’re all very much looking forward to that process moving forward in the coming months and years,” the UN Resident Coordinator said.

She said the humanitarian situation of the Rohingyas remained incredibly challenging and referred to an important meeting last week hosted at the UN with Malaysia, Finland, and Bangladesh, where they highlighted the plight of the refugees, the financial needs of Bangladesh, and recognised the remarkable hospitality the country had shown to the refugees.

“We really commend the whole country, Professor Yunus’ leadership, and the next governmental leadership in supporting the refugees. We’ve also had many discussions about development and how we can continue to strengthen the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh,” Gwyn Lewis said.

She said it has been a pleasure for her to be in the country over the past years and that she knew she was leaving at a very important time — a time filled with hope and optimism.

“The UN continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and with all that has been achieved in recent years. It has been an honour and a pleasure to be here, to serve, and to work with all of you. I know there is a lot of important work that will continue, and the right people are here to make sure that Bangladesh keeps moving on this very positive path,” Gwyn Lewis said.

Apart from Amir Khosru, BNP Acting Chairman’s International Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and Organising Secretary Shama Obaed were also present at the meeting, reports UNB. 

Senior Human Rights Adviser at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office Huma Khan also attended the meeting.