<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said the NDI-IRI in their report acknowledged that the January 7 National Election witnessed less violence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The quality of the election was much better than the previous ones in Bangladesh or elections held in the subcontinent, he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A fair and good election was held," said the Foreign Minister while responding to a question at Foreign Service Academy today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mahmud said the NDI and IRI have presented their statement. "We are looking at that. But a beautiful, fair, free and impartial election was held in the country."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"BNP and their allies have not only boycotted the election but also tried to resist it… they should also address this issue," Hasan said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said that BNP incited violence and people were burnt and killed. "These issues have to be there in the report."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Responding to a question on whether the government is rejecting the report, the Foreign Minister said it is not a matter of rejection or acceptance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"They have given the report, we are looking at it, and we are examining all the observations made by our friendly countries and anyone else," Hasan said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thd 2024 election had less physical, online violence compared to previous election cycles, said the NDI-IRI technical assessment mission.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The joint National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) Technical Assessment Mission — deployed to Bangladesh to monitor potential violence before, during, and after the country’s January 7, 2024 parliamentary election — has released its final report.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“This report provides a valuable roadmap for more peaceful elections in Bangladesh’s future,” said Manpreet Singh Anand, NDI’s Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Leaders across the socio-political spectrum – including political parties, the government, and civil society – have a responsibility to reform the rules, practices, and norms of electoral politics toward nonviolence,” he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The document provides a thematic analysis of different types of election-related violence and includes recommendations to the Bangladesh Election Commission, the executive and legislative branches of the government, political parties, civil society, and other stakeholders based on IRI’s and NDI’s comparative experience, to mitigate the risks of violence in future elections, in the furtherance of international cooperation and with respect for the sovereignty of Bangladesh. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>