UN will assist Bangladesh in polls if requested

United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo has said her organisation will provide Bangladesh with electoral assistance in the next national polls if the government makes a request.

The UN does not interfere in the electoral process of any country unless it is asked by the government to do so, she has said.

She made the statement at an event titled “DCAB Talk” organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Sunday.

“If the Bangladesh government seeks our assistance in the next national elections, we will extend our cooperation,” she said.

She said the UN was ready to provide support under the framework of cooperation if there was any request.

The UN official also talked about the Rohingya and Afghanistan crises, climate change, sustainable and inclusive Covid-19 recovery, the Digital Security Act (DSA), and gender issues.

“We are concerned about increasing violence against women. We are concerned about growing inequalities – it is a global concern.

We are also concerned about the signs of shrinking civic space. Again, it is a global concern,” she said.

Responding to a question, she said, “We are in talks with the government to stop the misuse of the DSA.”

She said a review of the DSA would hopefully improve the situation in Bangladesh.

A review of the DSA is one of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations that were supported by Bangladesh, making sure that the law is compliant with the international human rights standards, she further said.

Regarding the Rohingya issue, she said the crisis is not only humanitarian but also political.

That is why it is not resolved yet as members of the United Nations Security Council have so far failed to reach a political agreement, she added.

The UN official said the Covid-19 pandemic had amplified the challenges of inequality, gender disparity, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Bangladesh will have opportunities as it will graduate from the least developed country status, but it will also face the challenges of inequality, which needs to be addressed very effectively, she said. She said there is no development without peace and no peace without development, adding that sustaining peace is a continuous process.

National and social cohesion must be sensitively managed to strengthen relationships of trust among Bangladeshis, she said.

She further said the media’s action and reporting can engender either social cohesion or mistrust and divisions among communities and the people.

“Media reports can give a rise to resentment, suspicion, and conspiracy theories,” she added.