A three-member United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment team led by UNRC Ms. Gwyn Lewis called on Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md. Jashim Uddin today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The team is visiting Bangladesh at the request of the Bangladesh Election Commission to support their efforts to hold credible and inclusive elections in the country. The team comprised of Ms. Sara Pietropaoli, and Mr. Aditya Adhikari, Political Affairs Officers of UN Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UN DPPA) and Ms. Najia Hashemee, Advisor of UNDP.
During the meeting, the Mission informed the Foreign Secretary about their plan to engage with the electoral stakeholders of the country to assess the needs, based on which technical assistance can be provided for the next parliamentary election. Upon consultation with different stakeholders, they are expected to provide recommendations to the Election Commission.
The Foreign Secretary emphasized the Government’s commitment to and national aspiration for credible and inclusive elections. He also highlighted that a significant number of first time voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the next election. During the meeting, they also discussed about the ways to ensure the voting rights of the Bangladeshi expatriates.