Britain is talking partnership, despite no other country saying otherwise. When asked how the government would ensure participation, the Foreign Secretary said, participation can mean a lot. One meaning of this could be that everyone will vote. It is up to all parties whether they participate in the elections or not. There can be an expectation that everyone will contest the elections. But the main issue is for people to exercise their franchise. He stressed that this would be ensured by the government and the Election Commission.
Asked what the UK Under Secretary meant by an enabling environment, Foreign Secretary Momen said, he is ready if we ask for specific help for participation of all parties in the elections. We said, this is our internal matter. We had conducted elections earlier also. The Independent Election Commission is capable enough to conduct free and fair elections. He talked about free and fair elections where violence would be less. We want to ensure that people’s participation is ensured. Whether each party participates in the elections or not is the discretion of those parties.
When asked whether Britain has proposed any political settlement, the Secretary said that no such proposal has been made from their side.
When asked if there had been any discussion about the repatriation of convicted acting president of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tariq Rahman, the Foreign Secretary said that as far as we know he is under a political asylum there. . “We discussed legal frameworks like Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), Flexibility Agreement. Discussions are taking place among many organizations.