<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh has conveyed to the United Nations that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is “determined to hold a free and fair election” but will not tolerate burning of public and private properties and burning of human lives in the name of demonstration that the opposition frequently perpetrates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">“We also expect UN officials to maintain highest standard of non-partisanship, integrity and objectivity to uphold UN credibility and respect,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen wrote in a letter sent to Earle Courtenay Rattray, head of office of the UN Secretary General.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If their reports are based on falsity and without objectivity and if not fact-based, Momen wrote, they may lose their credibility that would be a bad omen for the UN system.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“In the context of the undue, unwarranted and vested political pressure that we are facing from different comers ahead of our upcoming National Parliamentary Election, we hope that United Nations system, including its Secretariat, agencies and country office, would play a constructive and collaborative role to assist Bangladesh to remain persistent in its development trajectory,” the foreign minister wrote in his letter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The letter was written on November 19 and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN transmitted it to the UN on November 20.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Momen wrote that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a “crusader of democracy” and she went through lots of pain to guarantee the right to vote, right to food and right to a decent life, as per the letter seen by UNB.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During her 15-year tenure, the foreign minister said, Sheikh Hasina conducted thousands of elections — by-elections, national elections, regional elections, mayoral elections — and except a microscopic few, all were free and fair.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The foreign minister mentioned that Bangladesh is a firm believer of promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedom of its citizens, and beyond, and remains optimistic that the United Nations system would continue to act as a trusted partner in Bangladesh’s efforts to ensure a peaceful, just, inclusive and prosperous future for all, at national, regional and international levels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said Bangladesh is a leader in upholding democracy, human rights, justice and human dignity. “It is the only country in the world that shed 3 million lives to establish democracy, human rights and justice.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Momen said they maintain their position as a strong voice in favor of the maintenance of international peace and security through peaceful means.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Bangladesh, a proactive and supportive Member State, also has high expectations that the United Nations system would continue its cooperation and assistance in our national journey towards the political progress and socio-economic emancipation of our people,” the foreign minister wrote in the letter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>