BNP should join the elections as well
While urging the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to participate in the upcoming elections, the international community has called upon the ruling Awami League (AL) to find a mechanism to ensure participation of all parties, said Canada’s high commissioner to Dhaka, Heather Cruden, on Sunday.
“The message that we have been sending to the BNP is that you should participate. The message we have been sending to the AL is that you need to find a mechanism that allows all parties to participate in a manner such that people are getting some level of comfort about the independence of elections,” she told a programme called ‘DCAB Talk’, organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB), at the National Press Club.
The Canadian envoy, flanked by DCAB president Imran Alam and general secretary Bashir Ahmed, responded to queries about a recent initiative taken by an informal group, ‘Friends of Bangladesh’, which comprises envoys of some development partners stationed in Bangladesh, including Canada and the UK.
“In terms of election mechanism, I don’t think any political party should be able to hold a system hostage,” Cruden noted, emphasising free, fair, inclusive, transparent and non-violent elections. “The upcoming national elections represent a critical moment in Bangladesh’s history,” she observed.
The citizens of Bangladesh are debating and continue to debate the issue relating to the elections mechanism, said the high commissioner.
“I feel ultimately it is up to the government of the day, and all the parties who participate in the elections will determine the best mechanism to hold those elections,” she added.
Asked if Canada had any suggestion about the form of government during the period of the elections, the envoy said that she agreed with the recommendations made recently by a high-level UN team, headed by UN assistant secretary general Oscar Fernandez Taranco.
“There would be a small team that is formed and there will be discussions in and out of Parliament. You need to have a small negotiating team that comes up with a political solution,” she said, adding, “I think a political solution is possible. But, what we need is a political will.”
On a question about the constitutional provision regarding elections, Cruden said, “There is a constitution. And, if you find a solution, then you can make amendments to the constitution.”
She expressed her pleasure at the holding of elections for four city corporations, on Saturday, in a free, fair and transparent manner, and hoped that this would be repeated during the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Reiterating Canada’s concern over recent unrest and violence, Cruden said, “Engaging in peaceful protest is fundamental to democracy. However, we believe that violence has no place in the democratic process.”
She called upon the parties to engage with one another meaningfully, and constructively, to address the ongoing political issues and help create an environment free of political unrest and violence. The high commissioner also said that many were concerned that the very impressive gains Bangladesh had made in social and economic development could be threatened by the recent Rana Plaza tragedy and the current political unrest.
“Bangladesh is having a crisis of reputation,” she said. “Buyers are getting nervous because of the hartal, and buyers are extremely nervous after the Rana Plaza incident. There is enormous pressure from Canadian consumers, to stop buying Bangladeshi products,” she added.
About the repatriation of Noor Chowdhury, one of the convicted killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, now living in Canada, Cruden said, “Canada has strict privacy laws and those privacy laws forbid me from discussing individual cases.”
About the Padma Bridge graft allegations, she said, “As you know, Canada takes corruption charges very very seriously. There is an active investigation ongoing into the corruption allegations. I cannot comment because of privacy issues.”
-With The Independent input
