Today Abigail passed a motion in Parliament expressing deep concern at the current state of affairs in Bangladesh as the nation approaches its next general election in February 2026.

I move:

(1) That this House expresses deep concern at the current state of affairs in Bangladesh as the nation approaches its next general election in February 2026.

(2) That this House notes that:

• there is widespread uncertainty in Bangladesh regarding whether the election will indeed be held in February 2026, with no date yet allocated and the nation experiencing ongoing unrest, violence and institutional failures;
• for over a decade, Bangladesh's democratic institutions have been systematically dismantled by the former authoritarian regime, with state institutions exploited for political gain, dissenting voices silenced and political activists and leaders persecuted and the ongoing manipulation of law enforcement, judiciary and electoral mechanisms has eroded public faith in Bangladesh's democratic process and denied citizens their fundamental right to political participation;
• since Bangladesh's independence in 1971, only four of Bangladesh's eleven elections held during this time have been considered free and fair because they were overseen by a caretaker administration, according to human rights and democracy advocates;
• fair and impartial elections cannot occur under an administration that is still influenced by the deposed authoritarian regime led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, nor can they occur while those responsible for grave human rights atrocities have not been held accountable, and in order to restore integrity to Bangladesh's democratic process, it is crucial that these influences are removed and a genuinely neutral administration capable of delivering a credible, peaceful and participatory election is established;
• according to Human Rights Watch, Bangladesh's interim government has used arbitrary detention to target perceived political opponents;
• there have been recent media reports of alarming targeted violence against political candidates in Bangladesh, including an incident involving Ershad Ullah, President of the Chittagong Metropolitan BNP and nominated candidate for Chittagong‑8, who was shot in the abdomen while distributing leaflets alongside supporters;
• after Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party were toppled in the 2024 Monsoon Revolution, Bangladesh authorities have been attempting to reclaim funds allegedly lost to corruption by members of Hasina's regime, and allies and investigators have reported that several powerful individuals and businesses associated with Hasina's party illegally acquired billions of pounds, which are believed to have since been siphoned out of Bangladesh using the unregulated hundi money transfer system;
• the estimated 15 million Bangladeshis who live in other countries have the legal right to vote in elections from overseas, however complex postal voting procedures have previously prevented this large diaspora from doing so, and the Bangladesh Election Commission [BEC] has announced it will launch postal ballots, supported by an application called Postal Vote BD, to enable Bangladeshis overseas to cast their vote in the upcoming election, however human rights advocates have expressed concern over the potential risk of electoral interference and fraud involving postal ballots given the current political climate; and
• on 18 June 2025, Australia became the first partner to support the Bangladesh Democratic General Election Support [BALLOT] Project, a joint initiative implemented by UNDP, UN Women and UNESCO which aims to assist Bangladesh to achieve a sustainable political transition, strengthen the institutional, technical and operational capacity of the BEC, and foster a credible and inclusive electoral environment.

(3) That this House calls on the Australian Government to:

• write to Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, urging the interim government to:
  • ensure all administrative, legal and institutional measures necessary to conduct a free, fair and transparent general election are in place;
  • guarantee the full security, safety and freedom of movement of candidates ahead of the election to enable their active and safe participation in the democratic process, including Mr Tarique Rahman, Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP]; and
  • independently investigate all allegations of corruption, embezzlement and fraud, to ensure that those responsible for committing such crimes are held accountable and that reclaimed public funds are invested into the reconstruction of Bangladesh's public institutions.
• back international efforts to hold perpetrators of human rights violations to account, including those accused of committing crimes against humanity, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings under the former Bangladeshi regime; and
• ensure the safe, secure and democratic implementation of the planned overseas voting system involving postal ballots, to enable all Bangladeshis living overseas to participate in the upcoming general election.

Motion agreed to.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

18 November 2025