The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The United Kingdom supports all steps taken by the caretaker government and the Election Commission to hold free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh, British High Commissioner Stephen Evans said yesterday.

Stephen made the remarks to reporters after nearly a 45-minute meeting with Foreign Advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at his office, where the matters of the general election came up prominently, among other issues. The Advisor said the caretaker government is determined to hold the general election in December, and the Foreign Ministry is working to that end.

During the meeting, they discussed a range of other issues that are likely to come up at the UN General Assembly this month on a number of which Bangladesh and the UK are working closely together, particularly those related to climate change, security and millennium development goals.

Evans said the Chief Advisor and the Foreign Advisor would attend the UNGA session. The British Prime Minister and the British Foreign Secretary will also attend the UNGA. They discussed the outlines of these meetings.

The High Commissioner said going back home, he would have meetings with British-Bangladeshi businessmen in London, Manchester and Tower Hamlet and find out how the cooperation could be enhanced and a better situation can be created for them.

Iftekhar said the UK would raise the level of its development cooperation to Bangladesh soon, and "this will have further positive impacts on our already-existing excellent relations".