BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan has stated that the question of whether the Awami League should be banned is not a matter for the BNP to decide.“This is an issue that concerns the Election Commission, the government, and those who are calling for the ban. Ultimately, it is the people who will decide who will or will not participate in elections,” he said.He made these remarks on Friday (May 9) afternoon while speaking to journalists at a press briefing following a meeting with representatives of the Carter Centre at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan. Moyeen Khan emphasised that a fair and timely election is the only way to return to a democratic process. “True representation of the people can only be determined through a credible election. The sooner the election is held, the better it will be for Bangladesh,” he added.“We want a transition to democracy. Through elections, we can return to a democratic process,” he reiterated.

Posing a question to the Awami League, Moyeen Khan asked, “Are they even willing to take part in an election? Has a single member of the Awami League in the past 15 years apologised for holding the people hostage?”

BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Mohammad Ismail Jabihullah, Organising Secretary Shama Obaid, and Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan were also present during the briefing.

Earlier in the morning, a six-member delegation from the US-based nonprofit organisation The Carter Centre met BNP leaders at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan.

The BNP delegation was led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and included Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mohammad Ismail Jabihullah, Organising Secretary Shama Obaid, and ABM Abdus Sattar.

The Carter Centre delegation was led by Jonathan Stonestreet, Senior Associate Director of the Democracy Programme. Other members included Senior Associate Director Tara Sharif, Data Scientist Michael Baldassaro, Associate Director Sairah Zaidi, Programme Associate Daniel Richardson, and local evaluation expert Kazi Shahidul Islam.

Dr Moyeen Khan said the meeting primarily focused on two issues: the overall political context in Bangladesh and the potential role of the Carter Centre in observing the upcoming national elections. The delegation inquired about when and how the election would be held, and how their election monitoring process could be involved.