The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pulack Ghatack

The Government is soliciting international support to continue the State of Emergency, which appears to be a stumbling block to the general elections.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury is holding series of meetings with the diplomats to woo their support for holding the parliamentary election under emergency rule.

On Sunday, the Adviser held nearly an hour-long meeting with European Commission Ambassador Dr Stefan Frowein particularly on this issue.

It was the second meeting between the two within five days after the European Union delegation met Iftekhar on Wednesday.

The Adviser also held an exclusive talk with Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Dhaka Renata Lok-Dessallien yesterday.

Iftekhar and Renata discussed the whole gamut of Bangladesh-UNDP development cooperation focusing on the issues of human rights and restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.

Following the meeting Iftekhar expressed the hope that the UN would send observers to monitor the election in December despite continuation of the Sate of Emergency.

"These meetings are very crucial to form the base of Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmeds talks with the chiefs of some influential countries in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this month," a Foreign Ministry official told the New Nation yesterday.

However, sticking to the Government's position to hold election under emergency rule, the Foreign Adviser could not make the EU agree to send election observation team in Bangladesh till now.

After the meeting on Monday Dr Frowein said, "I can say clearly that we do not normally observe elections under the state of emergency. We normally don't do that."

Frowein said the EC for External Affairs would take the final decision about sending the election observers mission to Dhaka after analysing the situation.

Dr Iftekhar said he would meet the European Commission Commissioner for External Relations Dr Benita Ferrero-Waldner in New York on September 22 in this connection.

I will try to convince the commissioner to make an exception to its rule on the issue of sending polls observers to Bangladesh, if the general elections were held under the State of Emergency, the Adviser said.

He hopped that the EU would consider the matter in view of the uniqueness of the circumstances in Bangladesh.

There is a strong opposition in political and diplomatic fronts against holding election under emergency that curtails fundamental rights of the citizens.

Almost all the political parties, including Awami League and BNP, have been demanding that the emergency be lifted to allow politicians to campaign freely.

On the contrary, the Government said emergency measures would be eased to allow politicians to run a proper campaign, while ensuring tranquillity in the country.

Most of the countries are also urging the Caretaker Government to lift emergency.

The United States in February urged the interim government to lift the year-long State of Emergency and hold elections before the end of 2008.

"The sooner the emergency is lifted the better, and the sooner the elections can be held the better," said senior State Department official Donald Camp while visiting the country recently.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma is expected to visit Bangladesh in October 26 to talk on the crucial issue of restoration of democracy.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) recently turned down Bangladesh's plea to restore its membership in the international body.

The interim government took power on January 12, 2007, one day after elections were cancelled following months of violence over vote-rigging allegations.

The Government later pledged to hold fresh polls by December after cleaning up the country's notoriously corrupt politics, and launched a massive anti-graft drive.

Seeking to soothe friction between the Government and political parties, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin has been reiterating that the national election would be held in December.