A delegation led by IPU Secretary General Ms. Anda Philip met with Speaker of the National Assembly of Bangladesh Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram MP. The meeting was held at the Speaker’s office on Monday, a press release said.

Speaker of the National Assembly of Bangladesh Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram MP said, the people of Bangladesh are democracy-loving. The people of this country have sacrificed their lives for democracy time and again. In the great liberation war of 1971, they did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves to restore democracy and achieve their rights. He said, the people of this country have never supported tyranny.

The Speaker said, although we won the great liberation war, democracy was not established. Although independent Bangladesh was established through a long nine-month bloody war, democracy remained elusive. Later, democracy was introduced in this country through martyred President Ziaur Rahman. Ziaur Rahman, the great independence proclaimer, became known as one of the most popular presidents in the history of the country.

The Speaker said that the national elections of 2008, 2014, 2018 and 2024 were a farce. The democratic rights of the people were forgotten and the country’s democracy was destroyed through these elections. In continuation of this, in 2024, the student population ended dictatorship in the history of Bangladesh through a mass uprising. He said that the last held national parliamentary election was one of the freest, most competitive and fair elections in the history of this country.

He said that the 13th National Parliament is fulfilling its duties as a reflection of the democratic hopes and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh.

Secretary General Anda Philip said that the aspirations of the people have been fulfilled through the restoration of democracy in this country. Through democratic reforms and amendments, our responsibility to future generations will be freed. He said that by establishing parliamentary democracy, it is possible to implement the establishment of a strong, effective and democratic parliament through the trust of the people.

During the meeting, they discussed Bangladesh’s effective role in the United Nations and the General Assembly, the settlement of Bangladesh’s maritime boundary cases in the International Court of Justice, and various issues of parliamentary diplomacy.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Barrister Kaiser Kamal, MP; Chief Whip Md. Nurul Islam, MP; members of the delegation, Secretary of the National Assembly Secretariat, and senior officials concerned were present at the meeting.