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Consensus on Polls

IntT pressure looming

Rezaul Karim
Failing to move the two main political parties through persuasion, the international community may now turn to pressure tactics to make the two leaders reach a consensus for the holding of credible and participatory polls in Bangladesh.
The UN, the US and the EU were discussing the Bangladesh situation and might decide to apply indirect pressure on the political forces, especially the government, for holding a peaceful and fair election, according to sources.
However, the international community is yet to consider issuing a warning like it did in 2007 that Bangladesh's participation in UN peacekeeping missions would be affected if the government opted for a one-party election, said the sources.
"What happened in Bangladesh in 2007 will not repeat | itself]. Trust me on this," a senior UN official told The Daily Star yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The UN was very concerned at the way the government was going ahead with its plan to hold the election unilaterally, said the UN diplomat.
Top officials at the UN headquarters yesterday discussed the developments and the current situation in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the US Congress expressed grave concern
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over the political stalemate in Bangladesh a couple of days after the Dhaka visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal, who failed to persuade the two major parties to sit for talks.
Besides, the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the US Congress held a hearing on "Bangladesh in Turmoil: A Nation on the Brink" in Washington early yesterday.
At the hearing, the speakers said rigid stances of the Awami League and the BNP, rising violence on streets and attacks on minorities are key concerns for the US government.
One of the speakers asked the Congress to remind the political parties that if they continued the path of violence and confrontation, Bangladesh's participation in UN peacekeeping and the revival of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facility would be at stake.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the European Parliament passed a resolution yesterday calling for calm in the run-up to elections in Bangladesh. The resolution was passed last night after a debate focusing on human rights and elections in Bangladesh.
Members of European Parliament called on all groups and individuals to exercise tolerance and restraint, especially ahead, during, and after the elections, said a European Parliament press release.
The Bangladesh Election Commission should organise and oversee the next general elections in a fully transparent manner, and the political parties should refrain from any
violence during the electoral process, says the press release.
In its editorial "Political Crisis in Bangladesh" on November 20, the New York Times said Bangladesh could face pressure, including perhaps sanctions, from the international community if violations of human rights continue.
Referring to the ongoing political impasse, it said responsibility for this crisis sits squarely with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The editorial said Hasina seems determined to hang on to power in advance of general elections scheduled for January and to neutralise her opponents by any means necessary.
It also alleged that the International Crimes Tribunal appears to be yet another tool to stifle political opponents.
Talking to The Daily Star, several foreign diplomats in Dhaka said their governments were annoyed and concerned over political turbulence in Bangladesh, and indicated that they might not send election observers to endorse any polls without the participation of major political parties.
"We will not hesitate to take a tougher stance for the sake of a free, credible and participatory election that will help continue the democratic process and socio-economic development programmes in Bangladesh," said a foreign diplomat, asking not to be named.
Foreign nations don't wish to see further uncertainty and street violence that may hamper democracy and development in