UN calls on stakeholders to ensure inclusive and transparent Bangladesh polls

Ahead of Bangladesh's general elections next week, the UN has expressed concerns over incidents of electoral violence and arrests of opposition members and called on all stakeholders to ensure inclusive and transparent polls.

The UN also urged the security forces to ensure free and unhindered campaigning by all candidates.

"We are all following these developments very closely and we're concerned by the reports of incidents of electoral violence and arrests of opposition members and we call on all stakeholders to do their part to make sure that the election is inclusive and transparent," spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said at the daily press briefing on Friday.

The general elections in Bangladesh will be held on December 30.

The UN also said that there was a need for the civil societies and electoral observers to be fully supported to play their role during the election.

"Bangladeshi citizens should feel confident in their ability to safely exercise their right to vote. Civil society and electoral observers also need to be fully supported to play their role in this process," he added.

Rights group Human Rights Watch said that a repressive political environment in Bangladesh ahead of the national elections is undermining the credibility of the process.

It said widespread electoral violence started as soon as the candidate lists were formally approved, and campaigning began.

On December 11, two members of the ruling Awami League (AL) were killed in separate incidents, and on December 16, a party office was vandalised.

However, much of the campaign violence has targeted the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the opposition coalition Jatiya Oikya Front (National United Front).

While the police promptly opened investigations and made arrests in attacks on the ruling party, it ignored complaints from the opposition.

Human Rights Watch said that according to the Daily Star, as of December 17, at least 26 opposition candidates' motorcades had been attacked, 13 opposition candidates had been injured, two had been arrested, and 875 opposition supporters had been injured, some critically.

In the same period, two AL members had been killed and 75 injured.