Bangladesh will welcome observers from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) in the upcoming general election.
“We will welcome observers from the European Union and the United Kingdom in the next general election,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Thursday.
She said this when the outgoing UK High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson paid a farewell call on her at the latter’s official Ganabhaban residence here.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call on.
Mentioning that some local election observers have separate agenda, the prime minister said they have established the voting rights of the people in Bangladesh.
She said the extreme poverty rate has declined to 5.6 percent while the poverty rate to 18.7 percent due to having continuous democracy in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UK.
The UK envoy said his country wants to strengthen further the economic partnership and cooperation in aviation sector with Bangladesh.
He said they want to strengthen the cooperation with Bangladesh to tacke climate change in line with the accord signed between the countries on climate change in March last.
About Rohingya issue, Hasina has sought international cooperation to repatriate Rohingyas in a sustainable way.
She said the number of Rohingyas has increased with the birth of 40,000 new babies which has become a huge burden for Bangladesh.
“Rohingyas are the nationals of Myanmar and they must go back to their homeland,” she said.
Dickson said his country has supported Bangladesh on Rohingya issue.
PM Hasina stressed the need for stopping the Russia-Ukraine war immediately as the entire world has been suffering for it.
“We’re always against any war,” she said.
The prime minister said Russia and Ukraine can solve their problems through bilateral talks.
Bangladesh has solved all bilateral problems with neighbours through talks, she added.
PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin was present during the meeting.
