US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller and British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson visited several polling centres in the city on Saturday morning but did not interact with media.
Miller first visited Rampura Ekramunnesa High School voting centre and then Shaheed Monu Miah Government High School in Tejgaon area. He spent around 15 minutes at Rampura Ekramunnesa High School and observed the vote casting process. After observing voting at Shaheed Monu Miah Government High School, the Ambassador spent few moments standing on the playground of school. “This is a beautiful day,” the ambassador said, looking around and up in the sky. He also inquired about the school and when it was established. When he saw a senior citizen – 72-year-old Mohammed Shahjalal – was proceeding towards polling centre with the support of his relatives, the Ambassador suggested a television journalist to capture the moment.
Talking to UNB after casting his vote, Shahjalal said, “This is the best process that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I could cast my vote without any complications.” British High Commissioner Robert Dickson visited polling centres at Banani Bidyaniketan School and College and Azimpur Girls School and College but refrained from making any comment about the election. The foreign missions in Dhaka have dropped their local staff from the observer teams after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised questions about their inclusion violating rules. No Bangladesh citizens, employed at the press and political wing of the US Embassy in Dhaka was seen accompanying the US Ambassador.
A female foreign colleague was seen accompanying Miller. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina lambasted the foreign missions that made Bangladesh nationals ‘foreign election observers’ saying that they have done a very outrageous deed. Sheikh Hasina also criticised the Election Commission (EC) for accepting the locals as foreign election observers.
