The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

A three-member UN election- assessment team Sunday called upon Bangladesh's political parties to accept results of the 9th parliamentary elections being held Monday in the country's democratic transition process.

The team, headed by Francesc Vendrell, called on Foreign Adviser of the outgoing caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at the Foreign Ministry in the afternoon and discussed matters related to the crucial polls.

Speaking to the media later the delegation said they were "very happy that the preparations were satisfactory and the campaign had been violence-free".

The Foreign Adviser thanked the United Nations for its support in the preparatory process and said, "This would contribute to the election being free, fair and credible."

In the entire preparatory process for the election, being held after politico-electoral reforms, UN development agency UNDP was closely associated.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon himself has recently visited Bangladesh for setting things on track for the transition from the two-year emergency regime through his talks with recalcitrant political leaders and government functionaries.