Bangladesh Nat’l Polls: EU keen on sending observers

The European Union is interested in sending polls observers for Bangladesh's next general election.

Ambassador Charles Whiteley, head of the 11-member EU delegation visiting Bangladesh, said this after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal yesterday.

"We are very heartened by the positive comments by the Bangladesh authorities about welcoming foreign observers," he told reporters.

Whiteley said they discussed a wide range of issues on preparation for the next polls.

Everybody wants a participatory, peaceful, and fair election and that is in everybody's interest, he added.

Meanwhile, the CEC yesterday said there were still some disagreements between political parties on some issues and the atmosphere was not congenial yet for polls.

He made this comment in reply to a query from journalists after the meeting with the EU delegation at the Election Commission office in the capital's Agargaon.

"We are advancing as per the roadmap we have. We are preparing and we will hold the election on time. We also made it clear to them [the EU delegation]," said CEC Kazi Habibul Awal.

He said, "We told them that we expect all parties will finally participate in the polls …. We also said if the election is participatory, there will be a good competition. We are fully prepared for that."

Asked whether they talked to the delegation about political dialogue, the CEC said, "The Election Commission several times earlier said there is a need for dialogue between political parties. An understanding is needed between them so that the election is held in a fair manner."

"They [EU delegation] asked us if we trust EVMs? I said the lack of confidence we had in EVMs has gone away to a great extent. But I also informed them that I'm not still sure whether EVMs will be available."

The 11-member delegation included EU Deputy Head of Mission Bernd Spanier, Danish Ambassador Winnie Estrup Petersen, Swedish Ambassador Alexandra Berg Von, German Ambassador Achim Tröster, Netherlands Ambassador Anne Gerard van Leeuwen, France Deputy Head of Mission Gillaume Audren de Kerdrel, Italy Deputy Head of Mission Mattia Ventura, Spain Charge d' Affaires Ignacio Siles Fernández-Palacios, Switzerland Ambassador Nathalie Chuard and Norway Ambassador Espen Rikter-Svendsen.

The next national election is slated for January next year.