The European Union (EU) on Saturday said they look forward to working with the new government of Bangladesh to ‘intensify’ relations and stand ready to support reforms that are underpinned by respect for democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law.
The European Union welcomes the holding of genuinely competitive parliamentary elections and referendum in Bangladesh in a peaceful atmosphere, said the EU Spokesperson in a statement issued from Brussels, Belgium, stating that the people of Bangladesh have exercised their democratic rights in large numbers.
The EU deployed an Election Observation Mission, which presented its preliminary findings in a press conference where it noted that the elections were credible and competently managed, marking a pivotal step towards restoring democratic governance and rule of law.
The mission’s final report will be published later this year.
“We call on stakeholders to work together to deliver on the constitutional, judicial and other important reforms for which popular support has been expressed in the referendum and note the vital role of the new Parliament in this regard,” said the EU Spokesperson.
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman congratulated the people of Bangladesh after his party’s landslide victory in the 13th national election, declaring that ‘we all are free from today’.
“This victory belongs to Bangladesh, to democracy and to the pro-democracy people,” Tarique said at his first press conference following the national election, held at a city hotel.