Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the Commonwealth to send various levels of election observers to see the upcoming parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.  Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at her residence. On Sunday, May 07, after the meeting at Claridge's Hotel Bilateral Meeting Room Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said, "Prime Minister sheikh Hasina raised the issue of elections and offered to send election observers at various levels from the Commonwealth to oversee the upcoming Bangladesh parliamentary elections. In response to this proposal, the Commonwealth Secretary General said, "We want to help Bangladesh in a peaceful, fair and participatory general election.We had helped to organize a free and fair elections in some of our organization's member countries." Secretary General Patricia Scotland added, "All political parties need a political commitment that they will participate in the elections, accept the election result and not resort to violence if they win or lose the elections."

Bangladesh will welcome observers from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom in the upcoming national elections. On Thursday, April 20, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made this statement during a farewell meeting of the outgoing UK High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson at the Prime Minister's official residence Ganabhaban. After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the journalists. Pointing out that some local election observers have a different agenda, the Prime Minister said, they have established people's right to vote in Bangladesh. She said, due to continued democracy in Bangladesh, the extreme poverty rate has come down to 5.6 percent and the poverty rate has come down to 18.7 percent. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between Bangladesh and UK. The British ambassador said, "United Kingdom wants to strengthen economic partnership and cooperation in the aviation sector with Bangladesh. He said, "The United Kingdom wants to increase cooperation with Bangladesh in dealing with climate change in line with the agreement signed between the two countries last March." On the Rohingya issue, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought international cooperation to repatriate the Rohingyas in a sustainable manner. She said, "The number of Rohingyas has increased tremendously as 40,000 children were born in Rohingya camps, which has increased the burden on Bangladesh. Rohingya are citizens of Myanmar and must return to their country." Robert Chatterton Dickson said his country supports Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue. Sheikh Hasina emphasized on the need to stop the Russia-Ukraine war immediately and said, "The whole world is suffering because of the war. We are always against any war."

Dhaka today suggested Myanmar to engage non-military civilian observers from its friendly countries in Rohingya repatriation process to reduce trust deficit among the forcibly displaced people for returning to their land of origin in Rakhine with safety and security. “In order to decline trust deficit and build confidence, we suggested Myanmar to engage non-military civilian observers from their friendly country like ASEAN, China, Russia, India or other friends of their choice,” the Foreign Minister said. Momen said the deployment of foreign civilian observers “may lessen trust deficit for a sustainable return” while Rohingyas are not returning to their homeland primarily as they do not trust their government about safety and security. He was addressing the virtual ministerial meeting of “27th ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum (ARF)”, presided over by Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh as the ARF Chair. Bangladesh foreign minister sought support from ARF partners so that the hapless Rohingyas can return to their home in safety, security and dignity, resettle there, and reintegrate in their society. “If this problem is not solved quickly, it may lead to pockets of radicalism and since terrorists have no borders, no faith, there’s a high possibility of creation of uncertainty in the region which may frustrate our hope for a peaceful, secure and stable region,” Momen expressed his fear. He said Bangladesh is keen on solving the crisis through constructive diplomacy with good neighborly spirit and following that Dhaka signed 3 instruments with Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation. He noted that Myanmar agreed to take back Rohingyas after verification and also to create a conducive environment for their voluntary return with safety and security. “But unfortunately, till today, none went back and instead of creating conducive environment, fighting and shelling is ongoing in the Rakhaine state,” he said. Despite the threat to its economy, ecology, and overall societal impact, he said Bangladesh gave shelter, on a humanitarian ground, to nearly 1.1 million persecuted people fleeing massacre in Myanmar, their homeland. About the pandemic situation, the foreign minister said “once vaccine is developed, it must be available to all without discrimination”. He lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for taking timely actions to contain the spread of the Covid-19 infection and maintain low fatality rate in Bangladesh. He also urged all to walk together in collaboration and in partnership to save the earth from upcoming `planetary emergency’ due to climate change. “We cannot look for plan B, as we have no other planet B. We must save this planet,” he said. He said Bangladesh will always support the ARF initiatives regarding the issues including terrorism, climate change, irregular movement of people, drug trafficking and transnational crimes, those which can only be addressed through mutual trust and cooperation underpinned by multilateral arrangements. Established in 1994, the ARF is an important platform for security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific to enhance peace in the region. It comprises 27 members: the 10 ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; the 10 ASEAN dialogue partners – Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States; Bangladesh, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste; and one ASEAN observer – Papua New Guinea. Source: BSS AH

Newly-appointed US Ambassador in Dhaka Robert Earl Miller said his country expects the upcoming December 30 elections in Bangladesh would be free, fair and credible as he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “We hope free, fair, credible and peaceful national elections will be held in Bangladesh on December 30,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the envoy as saying during the call on at PM’s Gonobhaban residence Monday morning. Reports BSS. The US ambassador informed the Prime Minister that his country will send 32 observers to monitor Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections. “Eleven teams of the US embassy will observe the polls,” he said. The press secretary said the Prime Minister briefly described her party’s struggle in restoration of democracy in the country and said that it was only Awami League government which handed over the power peacefully in 2001 in the history of the country. She said that before the 2014 elections, her government offered some ministries to the opposition to join the polls time government, but instead they resorted to violence, arson and killing people. In response to opposition parties’ allegations that their election campaign is being attacked, Sheikh Hasina said two of her party-men also died in violence during the current election campaign. “I have asked my party-men to keep patience in this regard,” she added. Regarding the Rohingya issue, the US envoy said that the Myanmar should create an environment so that the Rohingyas could return to their homeland safely. “The USA will continue its support to Bangladesh on Rohingya issue,” he said. Terming the existing USA-Bangladesh relations as “strong”, Miller said the US wants to extend cooperation further between the two countries in energy and education sectors. The Prime Minister sought cooperation from the US ambassador to resume the Dhaka-New York flight. Sheikh Hasina elaborated her government’s steps for the development of education sector and said the government is distributing free textbooks among the students up to secondary level. While talking about the country’s economic progress, she said: “If our party is voted to power again, our target is to attain eight percent GDP growth in the next fiscal.” PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin and PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hasan were present on the occasion. AH

The United States will send 12 teams of observers and fund thousands of domestic observers to monitor an election in Bangladesh it hopes will be free and fair, a senior official at the U.S. embassy in Dhaka said. Amid opposition concerns about rigging in the Dec. 30 general election, there has been speculation about U.S. plans for it, especially after the European Union this week said it would not send observers, nor comment on the vote or result. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a third straight term. Her old rival, Khaleda Zia, who leads the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is in jail after being convicted on charges she says were politically motivated. Scores of BNP workers have also been detained. The BNP boycotted the last election, in 2014, as unfair, but has said it will take part this time, though it is seeking international monitors of polls it says it believes will be flawed. The United States is sending a dozen teams, each of about two observers, who will fan out to most parts of the country, William Moeller, political officer at the U.S. embassy in Dhaka, told Reuters. “The Bangladesh government has emphasized that it plans to hold a free and fair election,” Moeller said this week. “We welcome that and are providing funding for election observers who hope to see such an outcome.” Moeller referred to reports of harassment and intimidation before recent city corporation elections, which he said may have suppressed voter turnout. “We raised these concerns at the time, so we are hoping we won’t see the same issues in the national elections.” The U.S. National Democratic Institute said after an assessment in October the polls would be held “amid a high degree of political polarization, heightened tensions and shrinking political space”. The Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections will send a team of about 30 short- and long-term observers, Moeller said. About 15,000 Bangladeshi observers will be funded jointly by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Britain’s Department for International Development and the Swiss government, he said. The domestic observers would spread out but might not be able to reach every polling station, he said. Source: Reuters. AH  

Awami League presidium member and Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said, BNP is depending on foreign observers by not depending on people in the election. But Awami League thinks that not the foreign observers, people of the country are great observers. He said these to the newsmen after inspecting the LGED and health engineering directorates’ development activities at Bahuli union under sadar upazila of Sirajganj on Friday. Mohammad Nasim said, election will be free, fair and impartial. People are the owners of vote. In this election to which party the people will deliver their verdict, they would form the next government. 14-party alliance led by Awami League will accept the verdict of the people. He said, BNP and other parties under alliance of Jatiya Oikyafront is taking part in election, it is a matter of happiness. We want that all the registered parties would take part in election. In this competitive election with participation of all political parties Awami League under leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will form the government again. He also urged all the political parties for not lodging false complain to foreigners by stepping out from the election. He also said, it is unprecedented the development that was made in the last 10 years under leadership of Sheikh Hasina. There is no alternative of ‘boat’ in the election. People want to live in peace, want development. People will vote for boat for the sake of peace and development. People of the country have rejected the politics of arson. People will not vote for the parties which do politics of arson. AH    

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, national election date has to be deferred for foreign observers; nothing can be funny, meaningless, baseless and illogical than that. He said this while replying to a question at a press conference at Awami League president Sheikh Hasina’s political office in the capital on Tuesday. According the first election schedule the date of election was fixed on December 23. But following demands from different political parties the election date was deferred for seven days and Election Commission fixed the date freshly on December 30. After declaring the reschedule it was said on behalf of BNP and Jatiya Oikya Front that Christian community’s religious festival Xmas day is on December 25. Besides, thirty first night on December 31 which is observed in different countries. Obaidul Quader said, if BNP thinks about movement then people of the country will resist them. Because, people are in election mood. He also informed that Awami League presidium members Dr. Abdur Razzak, Colonel Faruk Khan (retd) and Ramesh Chandra Sen were elected as temporary members of parliamentary nomination board. Their names were included as three parliamentary board members-Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Syed Ashraful Islam and Dr. Alauddin Ahmed are sick at present. Awami League Organizing Secretaries Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Cultural Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil and Working Committee Executive Member SM Kamal Hossain among others were present at the press conference. AH