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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he is monitoring the situation in Bangladesh following the parliamentary election and has condemned the violence before and after the polls.
The matter came up during a daily briefing by Florencia Soto Niño, associate spokesperson for the secretary-general, on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
In response to a question at the briefing, she said:
“We have seen the situation that's unfolding there. The secretary-general continues to follow what's happening. He notes the opposition’s decision to boycott the elections. I mean, all the allegations of the stifling of dissenting and critical voices and arrest of opposition leaders. He's obviously concerned about reports of incidents of violence prior to, and during the elections.”
The UN chief called on all parties to reject violence and ensure human rights and the rule of law are respected, she said.
“This is essential for the consolidation of democracy and economic prosperity there.”
The BNP, its allies, and several left-leaning parties boycotted the polls in which the Awami League won a fourth straight term in power by taking 222 seats. Independent candidates, most of whom had ties to Awami League politics, took 62 seats.
The Jatiya Party, the opposition in the past two parliaments, only won 11 seats.
Though a section of international observers declared the polls satisfactory, the US and UK say the vote was not free or fair.
Asked if the UN had any statement on the new government, Soto added, “What we're really asking is that… it is essential that [the government] foster an environment of democracy there. Respect and reject all forms of violence, and obviously ensure that human rights are respected there.”