Middle-income country needs free, fair polls: Bernicat

Staff Correspondent: US ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat has said that as a middle-income country Bangladesh needs a free, fair and inclusive election.

The US ambassador said this at the launching ceremony of a campaign “Bangladesh will win if peace wins” at the Celebrity Hall of Bangabandhu International Convention Centre (BICC)  on Monday.

Democracy International brought together 400 Awami League and BNP leaders to inaugurate the campaign, a national campaign ahead of the next national election.

The US ambassador said political parties must accept their rivals as legitimate participations in the political process and as potential leaders of the next government, even when they disagree on issues or policies.

"It's essential that Bangladeshis urge nonviolence by all actors at every stage of the democratic process, before, during, and after the elections," Bernicat said.

She said violence serves only those who wish to undermine the democratic processes and the interest of Bangladesh and its citizens.


risingbd/Dhaka/Sept 17, 2018/Mukul