Diplomatic Correspondent :
The government has asked the diplomatic missions in Dhaka not to include local employees of the mission having Bangladeshi nationality to observe the elections as an international observer for the Dhaka city corporation elections today (Saturday).
“The Foreign Ministry understands that certain missions are forming teams of election observers to visit different polling booths on the day of the poll,” reads a letter issued by the ministry to all the diplomatic missions in Dhaka on January 30.
It said, “the ministry would like to point out that diplomatic missions in Dhaka should follow the ‘Guidelines for Foreign Election Observer 2018’.
The letter said that it would appreciate if diplomatic missions do not include their local employees, who are Bangladeshi citizens, in the DCC polls.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday expressed displeasure against some foreign diplomats for interference in Bangladesh’s domestic affairs saying they should follow the code of conduct and apply their sense of responsibility.
“They (diplomats) should have their sense of responsibility. We expect that they’ll follow their sense of responsibility,” he told reporters after attending a function in the city.
“We’ve a very fair and judicious system. We’re very transparent. Our election will be a very transparent one,” he said, adding that diplomats stationed in Dhaka in some cases made too much of interferences in internal issues going beyond their own duties which is very regrettable.
The Foreign Minister said the Election Commission would decide who would go to observe polls. “We’ve a code of conduct. Diplomats do have, too. We expect they’ll work as per the code of conduct.”
BSS adds: Meanwhile, Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday questioned the Election Commission’s role as it approved 28 Bangladeshi citizens, working in different foreign missions here, as international observer for today’s city polls.
“I have no idea how they (EC) did that,” he told reporters while visiting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here yesterday to see the preparations
for bringing back stranded Bangladeshi citizens from coronavirus-hit Wuhan city of China.
The foreign minister said as per the Bangladesh laws no Bangladeshi citizen can be assigned as international election observer here. “It’s violation of law … and it’s a standard in all countries,” he added.
The Election Commission yesterday approved as internal observers 74 persons, includes 46 foreigners and 28 Bangladeshis working here in 10 foreign missions of the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and the European commission.
“The international election observers must be non-Bangladeshi citizens… but unfortunately, the foreign missions here appointed their Bangladeshi staff as international observers,” Momen said.
Claiming that the foreign missions here took the decision after knowing the law, Momen said, “They (foreign mission) should be responsible and they should follow their code of conduct.”
When asked whether there is any option to turndown the approvals, the foreign minister said, “It is Election Commission’s task … “they (EC) know better (what they should do)”.
The foreign minister said the government has no issue, if the diplomats here would like to meet with the opposition party leaders … “Only we say … don’t violate our laws.”
The government has asked the diplomatic missions in Dhaka not to include local employees of the mission having Bangladeshi nationality to observe the elections as an international observer for the Dhaka city corporation elections today (Saturday).
“The Foreign Ministry understands that certain missions are forming teams of election observers to visit different polling booths on the day of the poll,” reads a letter issued by the ministry to all the diplomatic missions in Dhaka on January 30.
It said, “the ministry would like to point out that diplomatic missions in Dhaka should follow the ‘Guidelines for Foreign Election Observer 2018’.
The letter said that it would appreciate if diplomatic missions do not include their local employees, who are Bangladeshi citizens, in the DCC polls.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday expressed displeasure against some foreign diplomats for interference in Bangladesh’s domestic affairs saying they should follow the code of conduct and apply their sense of responsibility.
“They (diplomats) should have their sense of responsibility. We expect that they’ll follow their sense of responsibility,” he told reporters after attending a function in the city.
“We’ve a very fair and judicious system. We’re very transparent. Our election will be a very transparent one,” he said, adding that diplomats stationed in Dhaka in some cases made too much of interferences in internal issues going beyond their own duties which is very regrettable.
The Foreign Minister said the Election Commission would decide who would go to observe polls. “We’ve a code of conduct. Diplomats do have, too. We expect they’ll work as per the code of conduct.”
BSS adds: Meanwhile, Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday questioned the Election Commission’s role as it approved 28 Bangladeshi citizens, working in different foreign missions here, as international observer for today’s city polls.
“I have no idea how they (EC) did that,” he told reporters while visiting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here yesterday to see the preparations
for bringing back stranded Bangladeshi citizens from coronavirus-hit Wuhan city of China.
The foreign minister said as per the Bangladesh laws no Bangladeshi citizen can be assigned as international election observer here. “It’s violation of law … and it’s a standard in all countries,” he added.
The Election Commission yesterday approved as internal observers 74 persons, includes 46 foreigners and 28 Bangladeshis working here in 10 foreign missions of the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and the European commission.
“The international election observers must be non-Bangladeshi citizens… but unfortunately, the foreign missions here appointed their Bangladeshi staff as international observers,” Momen said.
Claiming that the foreign missions here took the decision after knowing the law, Momen said, “They (foreign mission) should be responsible and they should follow their code of conduct.”
When asked whether there is any option to turndown the approvals, the foreign minister said, “It is Election Commission’s task … “they (EC) know better (what they should do)”.
The foreign minister said the government has no issue, if the diplomats here would like to meet with the opposition party leaders … “Only we say … don’t violate our laws.”
