CEC replies to EU letter seeking cooperation in organising polls

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal.

Dhaka, Sept 25 - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has sent a letter to the European Union (EU) in reply to the letter it sent informing the decision not to send a full-fledged observation team to Bangladesh during the upcoming national election.

Election commissioner Brigadier General (retd.) Md Ahsan Habib Khan gave this information to reporters while talking to journalists at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital's Agargaon on Sunday.

He said the CEC in the letter said the EC would be able to hold a free and fair election if it continues to get the cooperation it is receiving from the government and other stakeholders.

In the letter, the CEC expressed his expectation that the European Union would send even a small team to observe the next general election.

The CEC in the letter also said that the more local and foreign observers would be there, the more transparent the election will be and there will be some kind of pressure on everyone. It will also increase the acceptance of elections at home and abroad.

Election Commissioner Ahsan Habib Khan further said that EC would hold a workshop on the role of candidates and polling agents with the former chief election commissioner (CEC) and EC in the first week of October aiming to hold a fair election.

The workshop would involve former chief election commissioners (CEC), election commissioners (EC), senior election commission officials, media personalities, and university professors, he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) received an email from the European Union over their decision about not sending its full-fledged election observation team to Bangladesh for the upcoming national election.-UNB