The Global Center for Democratic Governance (GCDG) had announced a seminar in Helsinki, Finland, titled “Bangladesh at a Turning Point: Democracy, Human Rights, and Extremism”, focusing on democracy, human rights and extremism in Bangladesh.

The seminar was scheduled to take place at Aalto University today, Monday (2 November), at 8:30pm Bangladesh time. However, the university administration cancelled the booking at the last minute.

GCDG’s president, Dr Md Habibe Millat, is a former member of parliament for Sirajganj-2 (Sadar–Kamarkhand) and a former acting general secretary of the Sirajganj district unit of the Awami League, whose activities are banned.

According to an announcement on the organising group’s official page, Sheikh Hasina, who is a fugitive in India, was due to join the seminar online. The Facebook page also published a guest list naming 10 others.

However, three of those named told The Dissent that their names and photographs had been used on the seminar banner without their consent.

Those listed as attending the seminar in person

GCDG president and Awami League leader Habibe Millat was listed as the opening speaker at the seminar on extremism. Chris Blackburn, communications director of an organisation called the European Bangladesh Forum, was named as the moderator. Blackburn has moderated various Awami League events on other occasions.

Others listed as attending in person were Dr Pekka Tuominen of the University of Helsinki; Nure Zaman Bhuiyan, president of the International Journalists’ Network in Europe; former Rotary International district governor Jere Jantunen; Vantaa city councillor and social activist Soile Eriksson; Helsinki city councillor Elina Kauppila; Vantaa city councillors Drilon Kllokoqi and Shekhar Acharya; senior lawyer Nils-Henrik Wasenius; human rights and social activist Mikko Damskägg; and writer and human rights activist Hassan Blasim.

“Our names were used without consent”

The Dissent was able to contact two of those named on the poster. Both said their names had been used without permission.

The two Finnish local elected representatives, Elina Kauppila and Soile Eriksson, said they had not agreed to participate in the event. They said their names and photographs had been used without permission.

Helsinki city councillor Elina Kauppila was contacted via WhatsApp and email. She told The Dissent: “I never said I would attend the event. The organisers approached me on the street at a city event and invited me. I immediately told them I would not attend.”

She also confirmed this in posts on her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Vantaa city councillor and social activist Soile Eriksson told The Dissent by email: “I made no commitment to speak at that seminar. Nor did I give any permission for my name or photograph to be used in its publicity. I will not participate in the event, and I do not endorse it. I strongly condemn the organisers’ conduct.”

Vantaa city councillor Shekhar Acharya said he had initially agreed to attend the seminar but withdrew after learning “some recent, surprising information” about the list of speakers and the format of the event.

Human rights and social activist Mikko Damskägg said: “I knew nothing about this beforehand. An acquaintance of Bangladeshi origin invited me to the event. I understood that I would simply attend as an audience member and listen to the discussion. But I have just seen the event’s promotional material and realised that I have been listed as an invited speaker. There had been no prior discussion with me about this.”

Aalto University cancels the event

Aalto University Campus & Real Estate rents out venues for conferences and other events.

The Dissent contacted the email address listed on the university’s website. In a reply, the university said: “The booking has been cancelled. The university administration made this decision.”

It added: “The content of the event does not correspond to the information previously provided. In addition, we have received new information about the event’s content, and the positions held by some of the speakers are not compatible with Aalto University’s values.”

An earlier event by pro-Awami League organisers was also cancelled

An earlier discussion titled “Europe and Asia: From Dialogue to a Partnership and Prosperity” was scheduled to take place at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCC) in Delhi on 29 August. The event was cancelled at the last minute following intervention by Delhi Police.

Former Indian diplomats, journalists and European politicians were expected to participate, alongside several individuals linked to the Awami League, whose activities are banned.

Before the event began, officials from Tilak Marg police station informed the organisers that it could not proceed because of “certain controversies”. Delhi Police later denied allegations that it had intervened in the event.

One of the organisers was the Belgium-based Hand in Hand Foundation. The organisation’s secretary-general, A F M Golam Jilani, was also among the scheduled speakers.

Although the Hand in Hand Foundation described itself to Indian media as a non-political organisation, The Dissent’s investigation found multiple pieces of information showing its links to individuals associated with the Awami League, whose activities are banned.

Read The Dissent’s detailed report here.