A visiting delegation of international election observers expressed disappointment over cancellation of their meeting with BNP, noting that they wanted to hear about their concerns regarding the upcoming national election in Bangladesh.
“Our meeting with BNP was cancelled by the party. We are very disappointed about that. We would like to meet with BNP as there are two sides of each story,” one of the delegates told reporters on Sunday.
The delegation said they are “fair and independent” in their evaluation and observation and they would still like to extend an open invitation to BNP, to meet and discuss the concerns they have.
The visiting international team of election observers include Terry L. Easley from the US; Nick Powell from Ireland; Andy Lin from China; and Yusuke SOGO from Japan.
They had meetings with the Election Commission, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and discussed the preparation regarding the next elections.
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During their meetings with the Election Commission and the Home Minster, they have been given "some impressive" assurances about how the election process works in Bangladesh and how the Commission runs the elections, the delegation members said. They were also briefed on police operations during the election period.