The European Union is yet to decide whether it will send polls observers to Bangladesh ahead of the 10th parliamentary elections slated for January 5 next.
“The European Union has not yet taken any decision over sending observers… that will depend on political and security situation,” EU Ambassador to Bangladesh William Hanna told reporters on Sunday.
Hanna came up with the remarks after a 30-minute meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad at the Election Commission Secretariat in the city.
“We came here just to discuss the question of election observers and to discuss the technical aspects of how that will be done,” Hanna said adding, “I stressed with the chief election commissioner that we want to support an election which would be transparent, inclusive and credible.”
Meanwhile, Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday said there will be no impact if the European Union (EU) does not send observers to Bangladesh to monitor the next parliamentary polls.
“There’ll be no impact if the European Union doesn’t send observer…. There was no observer in the past. Our elections are always fair,” he said.
The minister said this while talking to journalists after offering munajat at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) in Sylhet.
Muhith said the polls under the present government will be very fair and neutral. “Actually, there had been vote fraud under Khaleda Zia and Brigadiers. Awami League didn’t resort to vote rigging in any election.”
Earlier, in a statement issued from Brussels, the EU said sending observers to Bangladesh depends on the political and security situations.
Source: UNBConnect
