UK supports fair, inclusive election in Bangladesh: Sarah Cooke

The United Kingdom (UK) is supportive of the consensus building and reform process to help create an environment for "free, fair and inclusive" elections in Bangladesh, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said today (10 March).

Talking to reporters after a meeting at the Election Commission, Cooke said she had a very productive first meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and his team. 

CEC Nasir said the UK envoy and her team had been to the EC to get an idea about preparations for the next general election and the foreign observer issue. 

"They [UK] want to provide assistance in the democratic transition of Bangladesh," he said.

Nasir Uddin said they informed the UK diplomat that the voter registration programme now continues and public notification has been issued seeking applications from the political parties that desire to be registered. 

"Now we will go for procurement soon [targeting the next election]. The procurement is a time-consuming matter," he said.

About the election observers, the CEC said the domestic observer policy needs to be revised unlike the foreign observer policy. "The EC will initiate the process of seeking applications from the foreign observers timely ahead of the next national election."

EC gearing up for polls

Nasir Uddin informed Sarah Cooke that since there is a timeline for election. The earliest is December and the EC is taking preparations bearing that in mind.

"If the elections are held in December, we will have to announce the election schedule in October. We are preparing in such a way so that we do not miss the timeline," he said.

The CEC said the envoy wanted to know what kind of assistance the EC seeks from the UK in the next election.

On training election agents and election observers about electoral conduct rules and laws, he said, "We told them [UK] if they can help us, they are welcome," he said.