Staff Reporter:
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke yesterday reaffirmed her country’s support for a free, fair, credible, and peaceful election in Bangladesh next year.
“The United Kingdom (UK) welcomed the Chief Adviser’s announcement regarding Bangladesh’s nation-al elections a few months ago. We had a very constructive meeting with the Chief Election Commission-er, during which we reaffirmed the UK’s support for free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in Bang-ladesh next year,” she said.
Sarah Cooke made the remark while talking to journalists after holding a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission Secretariat in the capital’s Agar-gaon.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Election Commission, the interim government, and our international partners,” she said, adding that the UK is extending its support to the Election Commission, particularly through the national civic education program, focusing on the country’s vulnerable communities, and through the training of polling personnel.
She continued, “Accordingly, our agenda centered on discussing the UK’s support for the Commission. As I mentioned, we are actively engaged in initiatives related to civic education and polling staff train-ing. These issues were thoroughly discussed with the Election Commission yesterday.”
Responding to a question from journalists, she said, “I have stated that the UK supports a free, fair, cred-ible, and peaceful election in Bangladesh next year.”
