Delegations from the Commonwealth countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday held separate meetings with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League in the capital over the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls slated for January 7.
The meeting between the poll observers of the Commonwealth and the ruling party was held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the morning.
Former Jamaican Prime Minister Orette Bruce Golding led the 15-member Commonwealth election observer team while Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader led the Awami League delegation.
Welcoming the Commonwealth election observation team, the Awami League delegation reiterated its commitment to making the January 7 election free, fair and acceptable. Awami League International Affairs Sub-Committee Chairman former Ambassador Mohammad Jamir, Prime Minister's special envoy on environment and climate change Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Awami League office secretary Biplob Barua, Information and Research affairs secretary Dr Selim Mahmood, Finance Affairs Secretary Wasika Ayesha Khan, Deputy Minister for Education Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury and executive committee member Mohammad A Arafat, among others, were present in the meeting.
Besides, the ruling party held another meeting with the OIC’s election observer team at the Dhaka District Awami League office at Tejgaon.
Assistant secretary-general for political Affairs Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Dobeay led the 3-member OIC election observer team at the meeting while Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader led the Awami League delegation.
Deputy Minister for Education Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury Naofel, Awami League office secretary Biplob Barua, Information and Research affairs secretary Dr Selim Mahmood, financial affairs secretary Wasiqa Ayesha Khan, central committee member Mohammad A Arafat and chief coordinator of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, among others, were present in the meeting.
He said 28 registered political parties are participating in the 12th general elections while there are 1,970 candidates in 299 seats. "Of them, 436 are independent candidates. A free, fair and participatory election is going to be held," he added.
Officials of the Election Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said apart from 127 foreign observers and journalists from different countries and various international organisations, 20,773 observers from Bangladesh will also monitor the national poll.
