Japan and Australia have urged the government and the opposition to take initiative to hold a new, fully contested and transparent election as soon as possible.
“The government and the opposition must take up their shared responsibility to hold a new, fully contested and transparent election as soon as possible,” said a statement issued by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
It was vital that the people of Bangladesh were able to express their democratic will and exercise real choice, the minister said.
The US, the UK, the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and Canada have expressed discontent over the 10th parliamentary election, where candidates were elected unopposed in more than half of the 300 seats and voter turnout was low.
On the other hand, India termed the polls a “constitutional requirement” and internal process of Bangladesh.
Australian Foreign Minister Bishop also expressed deep concerns regarding the ongoing violence and political discord which marred the election.
“It has been reported that both the Awami League government and the opposition coalition led by the Bangladesh National [sic] Party contributed to the unstable political conditions.”
Furthermore, she said: “While the elections were constitutionally valid, less than half the parliamentary seats were contested and voter turnout was low.”
Australia also raised travel advice for Bangladesh to “reconsider your need to travel,” given the prospect of further violence.
Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima said Tokyo was deeply concerned with the political violence, which resulted in death and injury of so many people over the past months.
“The political leadership in Bangladesh, regardless of their positions, should immediately initiate serious efforts to provide Bangladeshi people with a voting opportunity for making political choice in a manner that responds to their aspiration,” he said through a statement.