jeypore
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DHAKA (AFP) A British official urged Bangladesh's army-backed government Wednesday to lift a state of emergency ahead of elections in December designed to restore democracy to the country.
Britain's minister of state for Asia, Africa and the United Nations, Mark Malloch Brown, told Bangladesh's foreign minister London wanted the polls to be "held in conditions which allow free and fair vote".
"When I say the elections should be free and fair and legitimate, I think that as much as possible they should take place not under emergency laws but under the regular constitutional arrangements," he said.
His comments came two days after the US ambassador to Dhaka called for the lifting of the emergency, saying the forthcoming polls would not be credible if the authorities kept restrictions in place.
Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since January 2007, when the outgoing government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia was accused by its main rival -- the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina Wajed -- of planning to rig elections.
Weeks of strikes and violent protests brought the country to a standstill, prompting the army's intervention.
Since then, the army-backed government has embarked on a major effort to clean up Bangladesh's notoriously dysfunctional political system.
It now says it wants a return to democracy by the end of the year, but argues that emergency rules -- including a ban on public political rallies -- are needed to prevent violence.
The BNP and the Awami League are refusing to take part in the election unless the state of emergency is lifted.
AFP: Britain tells Bangladesh to lift emergency
Britain's minister of state for Asia, Africa and the United Nations, Mark Malloch Brown, told Bangladesh's foreign minister London wanted the polls to be "held in conditions which allow free and fair vote".
"When I say the elections should be free and fair and legitimate, I think that as much as possible they should take place not under emergency laws but under the regular constitutional arrangements," he said.
His comments came two days after the US ambassador to Dhaka called for the lifting of the emergency, saying the forthcoming polls would not be credible if the authorities kept restrictions in place.
Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since January 2007, when the outgoing government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia was accused by its main rival -- the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina Wajed -- of planning to rig elections.
Weeks of strikes and violent protests brought the country to a standstill, prompting the army's intervention.
Since then, the army-backed government has embarked on a major effort to clean up Bangladesh's notoriously dysfunctional political system.
It now says it wants a return to democracy by the end of the year, but argues that emergency rules -- including a ban on public political rallies -- are needed to prevent violence.
The BNP and the Awami League are refusing to take part in the election unless the state of emergency is lifted.
AFP: Britain tells Bangladesh to lift emergency
