Mohammad Ali Arafat, a former State Minister in the Awami League government, has strongly criticized the newly convened 13th Jatiya Sangsad as a “one-sided parliament” dominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, following the farcical election on February 12.
In a pointed statement, Arafat highlighted the absence of broad political representation in the current session, drawing contrasts with previous parliaments under Awami League rule. He accused the election process of enabling the inclusion of anti-liberation forces and even a convicted war criminal.
“The nation has witnessed a one-sided parliament of the BNP–Jamaat alliance following the one-sided election held on February 12, 2026,” Arafat stated.
He provided historical context to underscore his point: “During the tenure of the Awami League, the 9th Parliament (2009–2013) had representation from all major parties. From 2014 to 2018, the 10th Parliament did not have all-party participation because the BNP did not take part in the 2014 election. From 2018 to 2023, the 11th Parliament again had participation from all parties. The BNP was present in that parliament, although not as the main opposition party. After the 2024 election, the 12th Parliament again lacked all-party participation because the BNP did not take part in the 2024 election.”
Sheikh Hasina worried about Bangladesh’s future under BNP rule
Sheikh Hasina asks Awami League leaders to prepare for return home
Sheikh Hasina calls for justice, slams electoral fraud, and state-sanctioned oppression
Arafat described the current setup as similarly exclusionary but placed the blame elsewhere: “The 13th Parliament is now in session, and it too lacks representation from all major parties, making it effectively a one-sided parliament. Notably, the presence of Islamist forces that opposed the 1971 Liberation War is quite visible in this parliament. Several ideological descendants of the anti-liberation collaborators (Razakars) have also been strategically brought into parliament through engineered electoral victories. Furthermore, even a convicted and well-known war criminal has been unlawfully released from prison and brought into this parliament through a farcical election.”
He contrasted this with past absences: “During the Awami League’s tenure, essentially the 10th Parliament lacked the participation of the main party, the BNP. In that case, the BNP also bore responsibility because it did not participate in the election.”
Arafat emphasized that the current exclusion stems from external interference: “But the responsibility for the current 13th Parliament being one-sided does not lie with the Awami League, because the Awami League was illegally prevented from participating in the election. The nation has been deprived of a full, all-party, inclusive parliament. Many people, including Yunus, will have to take responsibility for this.”