India on Friday brushed aside any speculations on Bangladesh elections and hoped that the elections would be held peacefully as per schedule.
“We hope the elections are held peacefully as they are scheduled,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a weekly media briefing while replying to a question.
On the caretaker government, he said the Bangladesh constitution has a position on it.
He said: “I don’t have a comment on that.”
He also refused to speculate on any third-party or military interventions following the political parties’ opposition position over the elections.
The ruling Awami League has said the general election will be held according to the constitution, while the opposition BNP is adamant in its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hold the election through an interim government’s oversight.
The United States has sought a free and fair election and issued a new visa policy saying it would be able to restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
China and Russia, however, have accused the United States of meddling in Bangladesh’s internal affairs.
Against the backdrop, the Indian external affairs ministry’s spokesperson was asked for comment on the Bangladesh situation on August 3.
Then he said, they have a “very special relationship” with Bangladesh and hoped that the upcoming general election would be held “as per plans."