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Speaker of the National Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmad (Bir Bikram) stated that the current government is actively working to elevate the freedom of speech and human rights situation in Bangladesh to international standards.

He made these remarks today while meeting with a German parliamentary delegation at his office.

The Speaker noted the long-standing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Germany, highlighting that the German government has provided immense support to Bangladesh since the very inception of its independence. He added that Germany is the second-largest destination for Bangladeshi exports in the European market.

He further remarked, “Although elections have been held in our country since 1937, we lagged behind in terms of democracy. Even though we achieved victory in the Great Liberation War of 1971—a struggle to establish democratic rights—the democracy we aspired to remained elusive.”

He stated that the Awami League government had devastated the country’s democracy by undermining the people’s voting rights through three consecutive farcical elections.

The Speaker mentioned that a mass uprising by students and the public took place against the enforced disappearances, murders, extrajudicial killings, and farcical elections of the autocratic era. Against this backdrop, democracy has been restored in the country through credible and impartial elections.

He noted that Begum Khaleda Zia was the first elected female Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and her contributions to the political and economic empowerment of the country’s women are exemplary.

He added that the people of this country, who cherish democracy, have repeatedly sacrificed themselves for the cause. It was their steadfast resolve and struggle that made the restoration of democracy possible.

Regarding female representation in the National Parliament, the Speaker informed the delegation that the current parliament includes six directly elected female MPs and fifty female MPs from reserved seats; all of them are highly educated and accomplished in their respective fields.

During the meeting, the delegation exchanged views on expanding parliamentary diplomacy through the formation of a Germany-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group and discussed the ongoing Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh. The meeting was attended by a delegation led by Niklas Kapper—a member of the Bundestag (the lower house of the German federal parliament)—along with Gerold Otten, Johann Saathoff, and Ule Schauws, as well as the German Ambassador to Dhaka, Dr. Rüdiger Lotz.

Representatives from the German Embassy and relevant officials from the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat were present at the event.

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