The general elections will be held at the end of this December or early January next year, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni told the visiting U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman on Sunday. “During the meeting with the Foreign Minister at her office, Sherman wanted to know about the timing of the next elections. In reply, the Minister said that polls would be held either at the end of December or beginning of January,” a meeting source told The Independent.
The government is committed to hold a free, fair and inclusive election, Dipu Moni assured the U.S. diplomat, who arrived in the capital on Sunday to lead her country at the second Bangladesh-US Partnership Dialogue that began on Sunday at the Foreign Ministry.
Emerging from the meeting, Sherman expressed her hope that the next polls in Bangladesh would be free, fair, inclusive and credible.
“We are very glad that Bangladesh is a vibrant democracy. We hope that the elections are coming up and we are sure that they will be free, fair, inclusive and credible,” she told the waiting reporters.
“We believe in a democracy where people have the right to voice their concerns. But, violence is never be acceptable as a means to democratic ends,” she added.
Asked if the issues relating to GSP, TICFA and labour rights were discussed at the meeting, the US Under Secretary said, “We talked about full range of economic development needs of Bangladesh. We want to support Bangladesh in every way possible to address any underline issues. The government is moving out very quickly to address all of the concerns.”
“We expressed our deepest condolences as I do through you over Rana Plaza and Tazreen tragedies. Everyone in the world became Bangladeshi in April. Every single one of us was in deep agony for all of the families for all of the people of Bangladesh had to face and continue to face,” she said.
-With The Independent input
