UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernández-Taranco arrives in Dhaka on Friday on a four-day visit to hold talks with the government, opposition parties and the Election Commission over the next national election.
“Fernández-Taranco will visit Bangladesh from May 10-13 to foster dialogue and conducive conditions for the parliamentary elections that are scheduled for later this year,” according a UNDP release.
Officials at the UNDP office here, however, could not tell the exact time of the UN official’s arrival in Dhaka.
During his mission, Fernández-Taranco will meet a wide range of interlocutors from the government, opposition, parliament, civil society and international community, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
This visit is a follow-up to his mission last December when he said the UN would continue its institutional and capacity-building support to the Election Commission during the next general election as it did in the 2008 polls.
The press secretary to the BNP chairperson, Maruf Kamal Khan has confirmed that Taranco has a meeting scheduled with the Leader of the Opposition on May 11, around 6pm.
On May 7, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the political and religious leaders in Bangladesh to engage in constructive dialogue and help defuse tensions.
The secretary-general called upon all concerned to stop violence, respect the law and express their views peacefully.
The UN chief also informed that he was sending Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Oscar Fernández-Taranco to discuss with political parties and the Election Commission to hold free, fair and credible elections.
Diplomats in Dhaka have continuously been expressing concern over the deteriorating political situation and calling for dialogue to resolve problems.
On Monday, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena reiterated his call for the political leaders to reach out to each other to engage in dialogue to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Representatives of the European Union (EU) missions in Dhaka on Wednesday hoped that the political parties will soon reach a consensus about the form of government to be in place during electoral period.
They urged major parties to engage in constructive discussions, at the earliest opportunity, so that the countrymen can find a way forward towards free, fair and credible elections.