UN says it will not send election observers to Bangladesh polls

Bangla Press Desk:   The United Nations has said it will not deploy election observers to Bangladesh’s upcoming national parliamentary election scheduled for February 12, citing the absence of a formal mandate from its governing bodies.

Responding to a question during a regular press briefing in New York, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation no longer sends election observation missions unless mandated by either the General Assembly or the Security Council.

“No. We do not… the UN itself doesn’t send observers unless there is a mandate from the General Assembly or the Security Council. So that’s no longer something that we do,” he said.

The details of the press conference were published on the UN press website.

Stéphane Dujarric added that the UN could instead provide technical assistance through its country office, which is a common form of support during elections.

“I can check for you whether the UN country office is offering any technical support, which is something that we often do in terms of the elections,” he said, without giving further details.

The remarks came amid heightened international attention to Bangladesh’s political transition ahead of the polls.

The spokesman also addressed the death of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, offering condolences on behalf of the organisation.

“We obviously send condolences to her family and to the people of Bangladesh on her passing,” he said.

The comments were made during an official UN press briefing and published on the UN’s press website.

BP/TD