City polls prove EC’s impartiality, efficiency: EMF tells EU delegation

"The recently held five city polls prove the Election Commission's impartiality and efficiency," Election Monitoring Forum (EMF) told the visiting European Union (EU) delegation during an hour-long meeting on Tuesday (11 July) morning in the Dhaka EU office.

"While a large political party in the country did not participate in the five city corporation polls recently, a part of the former councillors and local leaders supported by that party were candidates and many were elected," they explained.

EMF also mentioned that the cancellation of the election due to irregularities in Gaibandha by-polls created confidence among the public regarding a fair election. 

They also told the EU delegation that the EMF observed the government not interfering or influencing the five recent city polls and the government gave full support to the EC to control law and order. 

EMF also informed the EU delegation that Bangladeshi people do not like foreign interference in the electoral process. 

During the meeting, the EU Election Exploratory Mission asked the EMF about the previous elections from the year 1996 to 2018.

After the meeting, EMF Chairman Professor Abed Ali told media that the general situation of the upcoming elections was discussed with the organisation at the EU office in the capital's Gulshan. 

"Despite not being a member of the EU, we are looking at the EU's interest in the elections of Bangladesh with a positive attitude," the EMF leaders said while welcoming the EU Election Exploratory Mission's initiative.

EMF leaders invited the observers and journalists from different countries including the European Union to participate in the election monitoring in the next 12th National Parliament Election.

Among others, EMF Advisor and former Election Commissioner from 2017-2022 Brig (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury and Directors Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (Duet) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Habibur Rahman and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) Pro-VC Dr Abdul Jabbar Khan attended the meeting.

Earlier on Sunday, the European Union's six-member Election Exploratory Mission arrived in Dhaka to survey the atmosphere ahead of the next national election.

On the first day of its two-week visit, the delegation had a meeting with the ambassadors of some countries at the Gulshan residence of Charles Whiteley, the EU ambassador in Dhaka.

The delegation had a busy schedule on the second day of their visit, engaging with officials from the foreign ministry, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Bangladesh Police, the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tract Affairs and the ruling Awami League's international affairs subcommittee.

The observation team asked NHRC whether there is any threat of violence in the upcoming national elections during their meeting yesterday (10 July).