Election to be credible, peaceful, hopes Miller

Newly appointed US Ambassador in Bangladesh Earl Robert Miller expressed the hope on Monday that the next general election in Bangladesh will be credible and peaceful, reports UNB.

"We hope the next election will be free, fair, credible and peaceful," he said when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban.

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

During the meeting, Ihsanul Karim said, the 11th general election of Bangladesh came up for discussions.

The US envoy said there will be 32 US election observers in the country as the US Embassy will arrange a total of 11 teams in this regard.

About the Rohingya issue, Miller said there should be an environment in Myanmar so that the Rohingyas could return to their homeland there. "The USA will continue its support to Bangladesh on Rohingya issue," he reaffirmed.

While describing the struggle of Bangladesh in establishing democracy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the then Awami League government had handed over power peacefully in 2001, a rare example in Bangladesh's history.

Before the 2014 election, she said, the government had offered the opposition some ministries in the polls-time cabinet, but they, in return, went for violence, arson attacks and killing people.

During the current election campaign, Hasina said two of her party men already died in violence. "I've asked my party men to have patience."