Foreign diplomats and representatives of donor agencies meet the hi-ups of the Election Commission on Tuesday. Photo: Banglar Chokh

Foreign diplomats and representatives of donor agencies sat in a parley with the Election Commission on Tuesday and stressed holding the next parliamentary election in a credible and inclusive manner.

“We gave views on our beautiful hope for free, fair, credible and inclusive elections,” Neal Walker, UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, told reporters emerging from the meeting at the EC Secretariat.
Envoys of the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the European Union (EU) and representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) attended the meeting in the morning.
Neal Walker said they came to know what the EC is doing regarding their cooperation and support for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“Those countries and partners who are providing support to the electoral process in Bangladesh through the Election Commission have come here today to hear what the Election Commission is doing regarding the cooperation for the upcoming general election,” he said.
He further said: “We were exchanging views on cooperation ...we are carrying out (that).”
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told the reporters after the meeting that they discussed technical assistances of the donor partners for the EC.
The commission apprised the diplomats and the representatives of its stances and initiatives on different issues, including reform of the Representation of the People Order ahead of the next parliamentary election, a meeting insider told UNB.
Three election commissioners -- Mohammad Abdul Mobarak, Brig Gen (retd) Zabed Ali and Md Shah Nawaz, EC Secretary Dr Mohammad Sadik -- were present at the meeting.