US govt doesn’t back any particular political party

The Election Commission (EC) has pledged to take all possible measures to curb the use of undisclosed money in the upcoming Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said.

"We may not be able to completely stop the use of undisclosed money in polls; however, we are taking the viable measures to curb it as much as possible," he said.

The CEC made the remarks while talking to journalists at the EC headquarters in the capital's Agargaon area on Monday, following a meeting with Tracy Ann Jacobson, the Charge'd'affaires of the US Embassy in Bangladesh.

Mr Uddin stated that the envoy's visit was aimed at learning about the election, slated to be held before the Ramadan next year.

"We have started preparations since joining the EC and further intensified our efforts after receiving the letter from the chief adviser," he said, adding that the EC does not want to be blamed for being unprepared to hold the election.

During the meeting with the envoy, he also said the election commission will dedicate all its efforts to holding fair and free elections next year, adding that all the preparations are going on well with support of the interim government.

BSS Adds: after the meeting, Tracy Ann Jacobson expressed hope that the upcoming elections would be held in a free and peaceful manner.

Jacobson said, "We support the interim government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus and the Election Commission. They are working on a roadmap for holding free and fair elections early next year. We hope that the elections will be held in a peaceful and secure atmosphere."

She said the aspirations and dreams of the people of Bangladesh will be reflected through the election. "I came here with some of my colleagues to listen, learn and understand," she added.

She said, "We, the US Embassy or the US Government, do not support any particular political party. However, we meet with political parties to understand their programmes and goals. We do not support any individual politician, but we engage to understand their objectives. We also do not endorse any specific election result. This is entirely the decision of the people of Bangladesh and we hope that you will successfully carry it out."

saif.febd@gmail.com