US envoy hopes Dhaka city polls to be credible

US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller on Monday encouraged voters to cast their votes hoping that the elections to two Dhaka city corporations will be 'festive, free, credible and participatory' ones, reports UNB.

He said the important thing is that folks go out and vote whatever candidates they choose to vote for.

"Election turnout in Bangladesh is often found much higher than the United States," he told reporters after his meeting with chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda at the EC secretariat.

Retired brigadier general Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury was with the CEC at the meeting.

Elections to both the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will be held on 1 February.

The US ambassador said they, along with other members of diplomatic corps, will see how this democratic process goes during the polls of Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations.

He said it is also encouraging to hear that people on both sides of the political spectrum are looking at each other as worthy candidates and whoever win will be the leaders of Dhaka.

Encouraging all voters to participate in the process, the US envoy said it is not an easy process but a "vitally important" one.

He laid emphasis on allowing voters who want to cast their votes are allowed to do so.

The US ambassador said the officials explained him about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the 1 February city corporations' polls.

On 22 December last, the CEC announced the election schedule for the polls fixing 30 January as the voting date but the date was rescheduled for 1 February as 30 January coincided with Saraswati Puja.