Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Friday said despite the one-point unconstitutional demand of some opposition parties, the government is firmly committed to conduct a "free, fair and peaceful" general election with people’s participation as per the constitution.

"We are expecting the coming elections to be peaceful, keeping clashes as minimum as possible, as per the confidence and preparations of the law-enforcing agencies," he said while speaking at a reception at State guesthouse Jamuna in honour of foreign election bservers and journalists.

Senior government officials, Bangladeshi journalists including Editors were present.

Masud said the government has ensured the full freedom of the Election Commission and provided with necessary where with alto conduct the upcoming elections.

Several measures have been taken including biometric voter ID and transparent ballot boxes to make it foolproof in terms of eradicating the chance of electoral forgery that was once commonplace during the military, quasi-military and pseudo-military regime in the past.

People of this subcontinent have always been found historically and culturally to be more politically aware and engaged – in respect of both domestic, regional and global issues, said the Foreign Secretary.

That is why turn out in polls in the subcontinent tends to be higher than the global average, he said.

"And the voters and supporters of the political parties let alone the activists get engaged in the electoral process very actively," said the Foreign Secretary.

This lead to intense competitions in the elections which often turns violent, Masud said.

"Casualties, even deaths are a common phenomenon in the lections of our part of the world. Casualties occur more in local body elections where competitions extend to neck-to neck," he said.

The Foreign Secretary said Bangladesh is a young nation and Western democracy is yet to take its full shape here.

"Recently, cracks are being surfaced even in matured western democracies. It has, therefore, been growingly feltthat no political system is perfect and no democracy ismatured in that sense," he said.

"We, as a nation, however, are striving to achieve the global threshold in democratic practices. We seek support from our friends across the globe, including you, in our efforts."

He hopes that alongside their economic strides, Bangladesh will also succeed in building a democratic society that future generations will take pride in.

The Foreign Secretary said the government believes that respect to the constitutional provisions, building democratic institutions, and ensuring the unhindered exercise of voting rights are the key to establishing the norms and practices of human rights.

A cultural function was also arranged.