UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis has expressed hope that all political parties, including the BNP, will participate in the upcoming national election.
She made the comments while speaking to journalists after a meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office on Sunday morning.
Gwyn Lewis said: “The next election is very important for Bangladesh. The United Nations is providing technical assistance to the Election Commission. We hope all political parties will take part in the election.”
She added that the election process will move forward in the coming months.
During the hour-long meeting, discussions were held on Bangladesh’s current political situation, the upcoming parliamentary election in February, and the Rohingya repatriation issue, among other topics.
Lewis was accompanied by Huma Khan, senior human rights adviser at the UN’s Dhaka office.
From the BNP side, Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Advisory Council member Humayun Kabir, and Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid were present at the meeting.
Following the meeting, Amir Khasru briefed the media, saying the discussion centered on restoring “democratic order” in Bangladesh.
“We discussed Bangladesh’s political context, the election, and the democratic future. The UN has a commitment to restoring democratic order, and we talked about how this can be achieved through a fair and inclusive election,” he said.
He added that the BNP believes democratic order can only be restored through credible elections, and that discussions also touched on how to ensure the success of the polls expected in early February.
On the Rohingya issue, Amir Khasru said: “We talked about the situation of the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar and their future. The UN has expressed continued support, and we discussed how this assistance can be strengthened.”
The BNP leader also expressed gratitude to Gwen Lewis for what he called her “brave role” in defending democracy and human rights during difficult times in Bangladesh.
“We thanked her for her courageous stance during the anti-authoritarian movement. She stood for democracy and human rights, consistent with the UN Charter,” he said.
