EU delegation seeks few answers regarding Bangladesh election
The pre-election observation delegation of the European Union (EU) held around 70 meetings at the government and private levels during their 16-day visit in Bangladesh. They left Dhaka on Sunday.
Activities of western countries have increased regarding the next Jatiya Sangsad election (parliamentary) of Bangladesh. As a part of this, after checking the possibility of sending a full-fledged mission to observe this election, the pre-election observation delegation of the European Union left Dhaka on Sunday. During the 16-day visit to Bangladesh, the six-member delegation sought answers to several questions regarding what are the challenges in holding free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
They explored various fundamental issues, including creating an enabling environment for fair elections, ensuring participation of all parties, assessing the institutional capacity for conducting elections, addressing election violence, and safeguarding media freedom. The delegation held discussions with around 70 stakeholders from both the government and private sectors.
As per sources from the European Union (EU) embassy in Dhaka, the six-member delegation, led by Riccardo Shelleri, conducted two rounds of meetings with the Election Commission. Additionally, they engaged in discussions with various government ministers and secretaries, political parties, foreign missions, civil society organizations, minority communities, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders involved in the election process.
The EU's pre-election delegation visited Bangladesh with the primary objective of gaining firsthand insights into the country's current situation. They aimed to find answers to crucial questions at different levels to determine the feasibility of sending a full-fledged mission to observe the elections. Besides addressing essential inquiries about the electoral process, the delegation also discussed logistical aspects of the potential mission.
This included identifying the areas where their official work would be conducted, the possibility of visiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts if necessary, and assessing the government's willingness to provide assistance. During their visit to Bangladesh, the delegation also took a one-day trip to Sylhet to gather a broader understanding outside Dhaka.
When considering the prospect of conducting free and fair elections, the first crucial question that arises is whether all parties will participate in the electoral process. The delegation engaged in meetings with leaders from various political parties, including Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party, and Jamaat-e-Islami. Through these discussions, the EU delegation learned that the two main political parties, Awami League and BNP, hold opposing views on the election process.
Awami League is adamant to hold the election under Sheikh Hasina according to the constitution. On the other hand, BNP has clearly stated that it will not be possible to hold a fair election under this government and they will not take part in the election unless it is held under a non-partisan government.
During their meetings at various levels, the EU delegation highlighted the issue of conflicting stances between the two main political parties. Several civil society representatives present in these discussions stated that they were asked about this matter. The representatives emphasised that finding a solution through dialogue is crucial to moving forward with peaceful elections, as there is no alternative to resolving the differences between the parties.
Members of the EU delegation held two rounds of meetings with the Election Commission during the visit. At that time, they wanted to know about the election system, violence during the election, the capacity of the Election Commission, voter list etc. At the same time, in a meeting with the Election Observers Council of Bangladesh, they sought the answer on how to make the election inclusive.
According to EU Ambassador in Dhaka, Charles Whiteley, the EU's senior representative, Josep Borrell, has informed about the preparations to dispatch observers for the upcoming elections in Bangladesh. In this regard, the pre-election observation team has already visited Dhaka. Their primary task is to evaluate the situation and present their findings to EU senior representative Josep Borrell. Based on their assessment, Borrell will make the final decision on whether to send an EU mission to Bangladesh for election observation.