Amid the escalation of violence and absence of political compromise
over the polls-time government, UN Assistant Secretary-General for
Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco is going to visit Bangladesh
in the first week of December to see for himself the election
preparations of the political parties. The UN envoy is expected to
reach Dhaka on December 7, diplomatic sources said though it could not
be known how many days he will stay here. The UN envoy is likely to
meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opposition leader Khaleda Zia and
other political party chiefs and civil society representatives during
his visit to help ensure free, fair and credible polls in Bangladesh.
He will report back to the UN chief on the outcome of his Bangladesh
visit ahead of the election, said an official source. Taranco
visited Bangladesh from May 10 to 13 at the request of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations. During his stay in Dhaka,
he met the Prime Minister, the BNP Chairperson, the Speaker of
Parliament, the Foreign Minister, the Chief Election Commissioner,
leaders of major political parties, and the representatives of civil
society and the media. As part of his visit, Taranco conveyed to all
interlocutors a strong message from the Secretary-General about the
urgent need for more meaningful and constructive political dialogue to
create conducive conditions for the successful holding of the
election. He also briefed the Secretary-General on his return and
shared the messages and views of those that he had met. In his last
visit, the UN envoy stressed the need for an early solution to the
issue of a polls-time government through dialogue to ensure a free,
fair and peaceful national election reminding political parties that
‘time is running out’. Earlier, United Nations Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson
Khaleda Zia and urged them to hold talks for a peaceful resolution of
the ongoing political crisis. Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in
Dhaka Neal Walker met Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque today at the
latter’s office and discussed various issues including the visit of UN
envoy Taranco. – UNB
