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The US and the UK have said the general election was not free and fair
Published : 10 Jan 2024, 02:04 AM
The government is “not bothered” about what the US and UK have said about Bangladesh’s general election that handed Sheikh Hasina the fourth straight term as prime minister, AK Abdul Momen has said.
The foreign minister responded to journalists’ queries about the election after an event in Dhaka on Tuesday after the ruling Awami secured absolute majority in the polls boycotted by the largest opposition the BNP.
“We’re not bothered about those [US and UK’s statements],” he said.
“Our people have given the mandate in our favour. Those [foreign observers] who came said the election was held in an impartial, transparent, credible and violence-free manner. They thanked the Election Commission. We’re happy with that.”
The US State Department said on Monday it shares the view that the election was not free and fair, adding that Washington was concerned by reports of vote irregularities and condemned violence that took place.
"The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day," a US State Department spokesperson said.
"The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated."
Britain on Monday also condemned what it called "acts of intimidation and violence" that took place during the general election in Bangladesh, raising concerns over the number of arrests of opposition party members.
"Democratic elections depend on credible, open, and fair competition. Respect for human rights, rule of law and due process are essential elements of the democratic process. These standards were not consistently met during the election period," the British government's foreign office said in a statement.
"We are concerned at the significant number of arrests of opposition party members before polling day," the statement added.
