Foreign observers welcome during next general election: PM tells British MPs

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the next election will be held as per the constitution of the country and her government is ready to welcome election observers.

"The next election will be held as per the constitution," she said while four MPs of the British All-Party Parliamentary Group called on her at her office.

The MPs are Rushanara Ali, Jonathan Reynolds, Mohammed Yasin and Tom Hunt.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

He quoted the PM as telling the delegation that the Election Commission in the country is very much independent.

"We follow your Westminster type of democracy. We do not have any problem if election observers come," she was quoted as saying.

She said the Awami League as a political party has a long tradition of fighting for the restoration of democracy from the clutches of military rulers in the past.

She said the military rulers used to grab the state power using guns and then got into politics after forming political parties.

Hasina urged the British MPs to take initiative to stop the Russia-Ukraine war.

She said as a result of sanctions and counter sanctions countries like Bangladesh have been suffering in many ways.

She said foodgrains, essentials and edible oils used to come from Ukraine.

"But due to the war import of these items is being hindered resulting in price hike of these items," said the premier.

She urged the UK entrepreneurs to make investment in the 100 economic zones across the country.

"We will welcome the UK investment there," she said.

The British MPs expressed their satisfaction over the unprecedented infrastructural development of Bangladesh. They praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for this development, according to the press secretary.

"Specially, they highly appreciated the development in connectivity including Metro Rail, Padma Bridge and Bangabandhu Tunnel," he said.

The MPs think that these infrastructures will be very helpful for the development of Bangladesh, he said.

Terming Britain as the development partner of Bangladesh they said that their country wants to work with Bangladesh for its development.

They said Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK is very much hard working, and they are contributing to the British economy.

They also said the UK will work with Bangladesh on the climate change issue.

They also discussed the next general elections in Bangladesh, Ihsanul added.

The PM appreciated British support to Bangladesh in climate change issues.

She said the government is serious about the climate change problem and it has started the adaptation and mitigation programmes with its own resources.

She said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had started the process initially with tree plantation along the coastal belt and construction of a multipurpose cyclone shelter by training 75,000 volunteers.

Hasina expressed her gratitude to the late Queen Elizabeth II saying that she always gave special attention to Bangladesh as guardian of the commonwealth nations.

She also conveyed her regards to the British PM Rishi Sunak.

Ambassador-at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah and British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson were present at the meeting.