Dhaka, Dec. 24 -- A group of influential US lawmakers has called on Bangladesh's interim government to ensure the national election, slated for February, is free, fair, and inclusive of all political stakeholders.

In a letter addressed to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday, Representatives Gregory W Meeks, Bill Huizenga, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove expressed concern that banning an entire political organisation could disenfranchise a significant portion of the electorate.

The lawmakers, representing the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its subcommittee on South and Central Asia, noted that while they supported the interim administration's role during the national crisis, the exclusion of a major party is inconsistent with fundament...