The UN has declined to act upon the request of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, sending clear indications that it has no intention to interfere in the politics of Bangladesh.
Fakhrul had requested the UN to mediate between bickering political parties ahead of the general election and to send election observers.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca rejected both requests, a diplomatic source said.
Fakhrul met the UN official in New York last week amid rising political tensions in Bangladesh as the country rushes towards its 11th general election scheduled for December.
The UN is also embarrassed at comments that it had invited the Bangladeshi politicians to New York.
A source said Fakhrul told Jenca that the BNP was ready to participate in the election but requested Jenca to send a representative for mediation.
Jenca turned down the request as the UN cannot move on its own unless it is invited by a government to mediate.
Before the 2014 election, then UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Oscar Fernández-Taranco, had come to Bangladesh at the invitation of the government for mediation. But the government has made no such request this time.
Jenca also rejected Fakhrul’s proposal requesting election observers, another source said.
Sending an election monitoring team will require approval from the UN General Assembly or the Security Council and at least six months are needed to process it, the source added.
