Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday reiterated that her government is determined to make the upcoming national election free and fair.
The prime minister made the statement while a group of incumbent and former election commissioners from India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal called on her at her Sangsad Bhaban office.
They are: Former Chief Election Commissioner of India Dr SY Quraishi, Chairman of Election Commission of Maldives Fuwad Thowfeek, Chairman of Election Commission of Sri Lanka RMAL Rathnayake, Election Commissioner of Nepal Sagun Shumsher JB Rana and Former Election Commissioner of Nepal Ila Sharma.
They are visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of the Election Monitoring Forum (EMF), a polls watchdog consisting of incumbent and former election commissioners from the neighbouring countries.
PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the meeting.
The prime minister mentioned that the election commission of Bangladesh has been constituted under a law passed by parliament.
"Under the act of 2022 the chief election commissioner and other commissioners have been appointed. Besides, the government has given absolute budgetary independence to the election commission," she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said that the EC has already set several examples of smoothly conducting elections including parliamentary by-elections and local government elections.