Bangladesh News

The visiting European Union (EU) Troika team yesterday said it wants general elections and withdrawal of the ban on indoor politics at the earliest as it feels that government ambitions for quality in electoral and political reforms should not slow down the “process”.

The team asked the government whether “Bangladeshi militants” have links with international terror networks.

The Troika also stressed the importance of maintaining international standards of human rights during their meetings with state officials.

“We would like to see general elections to be held as early as possible, similarly we would also like to see the ban on political activities indoor to be lifted as early as possible,” Andreas Michaelis, the leader of the five-member team, told the reporters after the team met Law Adviser Mainul Hosein at his office on the first day of their four-day visit.

Michaelis said that in his separate meetings yesterday with Mainul, the home secretary and an Anti-Corruption Commission commissioner Habibur Rahman, he had said that quality of politics should be achieved with an ambitious agenda that will bring comprehensive and meaningful changes to the electoral and political process.

“At the same time, looking for quality should not slow down the process,” he said adding, “that is why we feel and we have asked the government to look at the question if the general elections can be held before the end of 2008…as early as possible.”

The Troika team leader said that quick elections would also mean a quick withdrawal of the ban on indoor-politics, but “ban on political activities indoors should be lifted in a responsible and appropriate time before you can hold general elections.”

He also said that there is a “chance to improve the democratic reality of Bangladesh in the coming months if the civil society and the government play together to aim for the quality that I have just described.”

Home ministry sources said in their meeting with the home secretary, the EU Troika delegation wanted to know if al-Qaeda exists in Bangladesh and inquired about militant activities here.

Touching on the human rights situation, Michaelis said, “When the government bases its power on a state of emergency, it is particularly important for the government to build trust,” adding, “We were assured the government is willing to deliver.”

He, however, observed that a country under the state of emergency has to be governed in a credible and convincing way, and reported cases of human rights violations should be investigated and the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

“We understand the government is looking for a ’speedy’ way to achieve this and the EU stands by the government to provide assistance,” Michaelis, who is the German Foreign Ministry’s Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs, added.