Bangladesh’s Speaker, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram, has said an investigation by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) found no evidence to substantiate the Awami League’s allegations of human rights violations in the country. He also claimed that Bangladesh’s name had been removed from a blacklist following the investigation.
Speaking to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday morning, 11 October, after returning from an IPU conference in Tanzania, the Speaker described the visit as an important opportunity to present Bangladesh’s political experience and strengthen its position in international parliamentary diplomacy.
According to Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Awami League leaders raised allegations of human rights violations against their party at the IPU’s 152nd Assembly in Istanbul in April. In response, IPU members subsequently visited Dhaka to investigate the claims. The Speaker said the investigation had found the allegations to be untrue and that Bangladesh had consequently been removed from the organisation’s blacklist.
However, the Speaker’s account of the investigation and the reported removal of Bangladesh from the blacklist was not independently verified in the information provided.
Bangladesh’s Democratic Struggle Presented to International Delegates
Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said he had used the conference to explain Bangladesh’s political circumstances and the struggle for democracy over the past 16 years. He told journalists that international representatives had heard accounts of the Bangladeshi people’s prolonged efforts to secure democratic rights and had been deeply moved by their experiences.
The Speaker maintained that his discussions with delegates helped address what he described as misconceptions about Bangladesh’s political situation. He said the country’s democratic struggle had attracted considerable international attention.
His remarks placed particular emphasis on the role of parliamentary diplomacy in communicating a country’s political circumstances to the international community. Such engagement allows legislators to exchange perspectives, discuss institutional challenges and develop working relationships with their counterparts in other countries.
The IPU, an international organisation of national parliaments, provides a forum for dialogue among parliamentarians on democratic governance, human rights, peace and international cooperation. Its assemblies bring together parliamentary representatives from different regions to discuss shared concerns and strengthen inter-parliamentary relations.
Bangladesh Assumes Leadership of IPU’s Asia-Pacific Group
One of the principal outcomes of the Tanzanian conference was Bangladesh’s assumption of the chairmanship of the IPU’s Asia-Pacific Group (APG).
On 5 October, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad formally took over as chairman of the group from Bhutan’s Speaker, Tempa Dorji. According to the Speaker, he will serve a one-year term in the position.
The Asia-Pacific Group comprises 37 member countries. Its chairmanship gives Bangladesh an opportunity to play a more prominent role in regional parliamentary discussions, coordinate with other member states and contribute to the group’s engagement with the wider IPU.
The development is also significant for Bangladesh’s parliamentary diplomacy, which relies on engagement with legislators and institutions beyond its immediate region. Through such platforms, national representatives can discuss shared policy concerns, exchange legislative experiences and build relationships that may support cooperation on broader international issues.
The leadership position does not, by itself, guarantee agreement among member states on contentious political questions. Its significance lies in the opportunity it provides Bangladesh to participate in shaping discussions and representing regional interests within the organisation.
Bangladeshi MP Elected to IPU Executive Committee
Bangladesh secured another position within the organisation on the same day. Barrister Johorat Adib Chowdhury, a member of parliament and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was elected to the IPU Executive Committee as a representative of the Asia-Pacific Group at the organisation’s 153rd Assembly.
The election places a Bangladeshi parliamentarian within the body responsible for helping oversee the organisation’s affairs. Together with the Speaker’s appointment as APG chairman, the development provides Bangladesh with additional opportunities to engage in international parliamentary discussions.
The two appointments were among the key outcomes highlighted by the Bangladeshi delegation following its participation in the assembly in Tanzania.
Bilateral Talks with Six Countries
The IPU conference was held in Tanzania from 5 to 9 October. Bangladesh sent a 13-member parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker.
During the visit, the delegation held bilateral discussions with representatives from Australia, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Canada and Türkiye. The meetings focused on matters of mutual interest, according to the Speaker, who described the discussions as an important part of the delegation’s diplomatic engagement.
The delegation also met representatives of the Human Rights Commission. Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said the meetings with different groups and international counterparts had helped Bangladesh present its position and pursue areas of common interest.
Bilateral parliamentary exchanges can complement formal diplomatic channels by providing legislators with opportunities to discuss political developments, institutional practices and possible areas of cooperation. They can also help maintain communication between countries when questions of governance and human rights feature prominently in international discussions.
The Speaker said Bangladesh had attracted attention during the conference and regarded the delegation’s engagement with different countries and groups as a success.
Members of the Parliamentary Delegation
The delegation included Chief Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu and several members of parliament. Among those named as participants were Sarwar Jamal Nizam, A. E. Sultan Mahmud Babu, Md Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, S. K. Azizul Bari, Humam Qader Chowdhury, Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, Sansila Jebrin and Rokeya Begum.
Barrister Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, secretary of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, also accompanied the delegation.
Upon their arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday morning, officials from the Parliament Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the returning delegation.
The visit combined Bangladesh’s participation in the IPU’s 153rd Assembly with efforts to strengthen international parliamentary relations. The country’s assumption of the Asia-Pacific Group chairmanship and the election of a Bangladeshi MP to the Executive Committee were notable institutional developments.
At the same time, the Speaker’s statements concerning the Awami League’s human rights complaint and the reported removal of Bangladesh from a blacklist remain claims attributed to him. An independently available IPU statement or investigation report would be needed to establish the precise findings and the formal status of any blacklist decision.
