Bangladesh
CEC CEC writes to European Union asking to send observers
Dhaka, Sept 25: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has responded to the letter sent by the European Union (EU) regarding not sending a full observer team to the upcoming national parliamentary elections. In a letter written to the EU ambassador in Dhaka, the CEC urged to send election observers.
Electoral Commissioner Ahsan Habib Khan gave this information at the Agargaon Election Hall in the capital on Sunday (September 24) and said, "We will always hope and encourage that a significant number of domestic and international observers observe our elections. The Election Commission Secretariat has already informed why the European Union is not sending observers to the 12th parliamentary elections. They said their budget is short. But he did not say that he will not send the observer, he said that he will not send the full team. Short (the observation team) will send what will not - it did not mention."
He said, "But they did not say that they will not send it on a small scale. We can expect that the election process will be monitored with more observers, be it with observers, be it journalists, the more there are, the more transparent it will be."
This commissioner said, we will always have hope. The more domestic and international observers, the better for us. CEC responded to the EU's letter. On receiving the letter, he said that with the support we are getting from the government and everyone, we will be able to present free, impartial and acceptable elections. I hope that the support that I have always received will continue.
EC Ahsan Habib said, "We wholeheartedly believe that the EU will send and observe the team, albeit on a small scale."
