UK stresses people’s interest

The UK has urged the “new government” and all political parties to act in line with the people’s interest.

In a post-elections comment, Senior Foreign Office Minister of the British government, Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, in a statement said the UK would continue to support Bangladesh’s people “in their aspirations for a more stable, prosperous and democratic future” as the country remained an important partner for them.

She, however, said the UK was “disappointed” as people in more than half of the constituencies could not vote because of uncontested winners and the turnout in most other constituencies was “low”.

Referring to the election-time political violence, she said all political parties share “a clear and unequivocal responsibility” to work together to strengthen democratic accountability which, she said, was “an urgent priority”.

Warsi also called for building the “willingness and capacity” to hold future “participatory” elections “without the fear of intimidation or reprisals”.

The elections were held without the participation of the major opposition party, the BNP, which boycotted the polls as its demand for a non-party caretaker government to oversee the election had not been met. As a result, more than half of the seats returned uncontested winners.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier described the elections as a “constitutional necessity” while several quarters demanded a halt to the polls.

The European Union, the Commonwealth and the US did not send observers, saying it was pointless to monitor an election that returned uncontested winners in half the seats.

Warsi said they noted the announcement of the results of the elections “called in accordance with Bangladesh’s Constitution”.

“Like others in the International Community, the UK believes that the true mark of a mature, functioning democracy is peaceful, credible elections that express the genuine will of the voters.

“It is therefore disappointing that voters in more than half the constituencies did not have the opportunity to express their will at the ballot box and that turnout in most other constituencies was low,” she said.

She deplored violence and intimidation from “all parties” that have taken place in recent weeks and the arson attacks on public buildings, including schools and colleges.

“We are deeply concerned at the deaths of so many people, political harassment and the heightened political tensions which underlie them”.

“All Bangladesh's political parties share a clear and unequivocal responsibility to work together to strengthen democratic accountability as an urgent priority and to build the willingness and capacity to hold future participatory elections without the fear of intimidation or reprisals,” she said.

Earlier on Monday, India said that the elections were a constitutional requirement and democratic processes must be allowed to take their own course.