Observers from EU, UK welcome in nat’l election

Bangladesh will welcome observers from the European Union and the United Kingdom in the upcoming general election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said yesterday.

She said this when the outgoing UK High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson paid a farewell call on her at the Gono Bhaban.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters afterwards.

Mentioning that some local election observers have their own agenda, the prime minister said her party has established the voting rights of the people in Bangladesh.

She said the extreme poverty rate has declined to 5.6 percent while the poverty rate to 18.7 percent as democracy continued in Bangladesh.

The UK envoy said his country wants to strengthen further the economic partnership and cooperation in aviation sector with Bangladesh.

He said they  want to strengthen the cooperation with Bangladesh to tackle climate change in line with the accord signed between the countries in March.

About the Rohingya issue, Hasina sought cooperation to repatriate the Rohingyas in a sustainable way.

She said the number of Rohingyas has increased with the birth of  40,000 babies, which has become a huge burden for Bangladesh.

“Rohingyas are the nationals of Myanmar and they must go back to their homeland,” she said.

Dickson said his country has supported Bangladesh on Rohingya issue.

Hasina stressed the need for stopping the Russia-Ukraine war immediately as the entire world has been suffering for it.

“We’re always against any war,” she said.

The prime minister said Russia and Ukraine can solve their problems through talks.

Bangladesh has  solved all bilateral problems with neighbours through talks, she added.

PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin was present during the meeting.