‘We want to hold credible, acceptable election,`Momen tells UK minister

Staff Reporter :
Dhaka has assured the UK that they need not be concerned about the next parliamentary polls in Bangladesh as the current government is committed to hold a free, fair, credible and acceptable election.
To make the election credible, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen assured the visiting UK’s Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan saying that the government has empowered the Election Commission to conduct a fair election.
Momen spoke to reporters during Trevelyan’s visit the Foreign Minister for a courtesy call on Sunday, where he made the aforementioned comments.
Though during the courtesy call Trevelyan did not raise the issue of the upcoming general election in Bangladesh, Foreign Minister Momen himself put forwarded the subject before her.
“I myself raised the subject of our next general election. They did not ask about it. I have said that we want to hold a free, fair, credible and acceptable election. For achieving this goal, we have built up the institutions needed for election,” he said.
In order to make the election credible, he said, “We have prepared voter lists with photos and biometrics to curb vote rigging. The ballot boxes are transparent. We have also build up an independent Election Commission empowered with much power. The Commission can do whatever they want. Nobody can override the Commission’s power during election. We have prepared institutions in a bid to hold a free, fair, credible and acceptable election.”
He also told her that Awami League government is optimistic for winning the next election as the government has worked for the people especially the disadvantaged people who are under the coverage of social safety net.
“We believe that people will vote for us. The country has changed in the last 14 years. People from all walks

of life including the poor, unemployed, widow, elderly and freedom fighters are getting assistance under social safety net,” he said. The businessmen are doing business peacefully as there is no strike, no hartal, no arson attack, while students are attending school without any intimidation of bomb blast, he mentioned before her.
“I have told her that we have trust on people. People are much matured. They never cast votes for wrong candidates,” Momen said.
He further said, “Our blood is democracy, justice, fairness, and human rights. No one else can teach us about these issues. If you have any weakness, you can take it from us.”
In reply to a query what they have discussed about the Rohingya issue, he said, “She asked where we have any dialog with the Myanmar army government. We said that we had talks with them. Even Myanmar took our Ambassador and others to visit what Myanmar has done in Rakhine for the Rohingyas repatriation.”
Recently diplomats from a total of 11 countries, including Bangladesh, India, China, and other Asian nations, visited various locations in Rakhine for two days on Wednesday and Thursday to observe the situation in Rohingya repatriation.