Tofail briefs EU ambassadors on Bangladesh’s December general election

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has briefed ambassadors from the European Union about the process of the parliamentary elections expected to take place in December.

“I told them it is the election year. The prime minister said ‘we want participatory election’. In line with the constitution, the election participated by all the political parties will be held,” he told reporters after the 'EU-Bangladesh Fourth Business Climate Dialogue' at the Secretariat Thursday.

“The ruling party will be in charge of conducting the state affairs. The size of the government will be small even though it is the prime minister's jurisdiction and the Election Commission will conduct the election. We gave this message to the European Union. "

The ambassadors of the Netherlands, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark, and acting high commissioner of the UK attended the dialogue headed by Rensje Teerink, head of the EU delegation ambassador.

Top executives of companies from EU countries and senior officials of trade missions also joined the event.

The commerce minister urged the EU ambassadors to continue the GSP facility for Bangladesh once it graduates to a developing country.

"Although Bangladesh is still an LDC, it will be transformed into a developing country by 2024. We’ll get benefits until 2027 as a LDC country.”

In fiscal 2017-18, Bangladesh exported products worth $21.33 billion to the EU, accounting for 52 percent of the country’s total exports, according to the commerce minister.