<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Leaders of the Election Monitoring Forum (EMF) today informed the Election Exploratory Mission from European Union (EU) that the Election Commission has proven its “impartiality, courage and capability” in holding free and fair polls in five city corporations held recently.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Though a major political party did not participate in the recently held elections in the five city corporations, a large part of their former councilors and local leaders took part in the elections and were elected, the EMF leaders said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In all the local elections that have been held recently, the EMF leaders said, they have observed that the government has not interfered or influenced the elections and has fully cooperated with the Election Commission in maintaining law and order situation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chairman of the Election Monitoring Forum, Professor Mohammad Abed Ali, was present during the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Advisor of the Election Monitoring Forum and former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, directors of the forum – Vice-Chancellor of DUET Prof M Habibur Rahman and BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdul Jabbar Khan – were also present at the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the meeting, the EMF leaders said that the current Election Commission has recently implemented strict monitoring of law-and-order situation with CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of voters in local elections and cancellation of elections due to irregularities in Gaibandha by-election has boosted the confidence of voters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EMF leaders feel that there is a need to analyze not only the 2014 and 2018 elections but also the results of the 1996, 2001 and 2008 elections and the various complaints of the defeated opposition parties.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcoming the representatives of the EU mission, the EMF leaders said despite Bangladesh not being a member of the European Union, they are looking at the EU’s interest in polls in Bangladesh with a positive attitude.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, people of the country do not support external interference in the electoral system or process of Bangladesh, according to a media release issued by the EMF.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The visiting delegation began their activities in Bangladesh on Sunday to assess the situation on the ground ahead of the country’s upcoming national election.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Delegation leader Chelleri Riccardo and his team held a number of meetings so far including with diplomats stationed in Dhaka.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The visiting delegation also had a meeting with UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis, said a diplomatic source.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EU delegation will be in Bangladesh till July 23 to assess the situation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The main objective of the Election Exploratory Mission is to assess the “advisability, usefulness and feasibility” of a possible EU Election Observation Mission for the upcoming parliamentary election, according to the EU Mission in Dhaka. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div>