The Election Commission of India (ECI) is mulling ways to send observers to Bangladesh’s 11th National Election slated for Dec 30 as well as has briefed a group of Bangladeshi diplomats on making the polls more credible in the global arena.
On Nov 29, a Bangladesh delegation which consisted of several 23 diplomats visited the ECI headquarters in New Delhi, where they took part in a special briefing.
And in a rare incident, the Bangladesh envoy last week called on the newly-appointed Indian chief election commissioner.
A highly-placed source at the ECI told Bangla Tribune that the India, the world’s largest democracy, has earned a reputation of holding credible elections in the last seven decades.
According to the source, the ECI wants to share the experience with its friendly neighbour Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh’s 10th National Election in 2014, which was boycotted by the BNP and its allies, there was no voting in 153 of the 300 seats as there was only one candidate. Polling took place in the remaining 147 seats amid large scale violence, leaving it with credibility issues in the international arena.
The BNP and its allies are, however, taking part this year, but Bangladesh is leaving no stone unturned to make the polls credible to the international community and the Indian EIC briefing was a part of that process.
On Nov 29, at least 23 Bangladeshi diplomats visited the ECI offices in New Delhi, where they attended a briefing on ins and outs over holding a credible election.
Three days later, on Dec 2, Sunil Arora took the office of the chief election commissioner of India.
On Dec 12, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali met Arora at his offices, a meeting which has been officially described as a “courtesy call”.
Observers, however, see it as a significant as a meeting between a newly-appointed Indian chief election commissioner and an envoy of a neighbouring country is quite a rare instance.
The Indian government, however, refrains to comment on the Dec 30 polls in Bangladesh.
“We consider the election as a totally internal matter of Bangladesh and will refrain from commenting on the issue,” said Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs.
The EIC is also cautious that in no way its experience-sharing venture with Bangladesh officials can be described as an intervention in Bangladesh’s election.
However, sources say it is considering sending observers to the Dec 30 polls.
Former Indian chief election commissioner SY Quraishi says that it the foreign observers to the Bangladesh elections polls will “very likely” include Indians.
“However, as far as I know, the Indian government or the election commission is yet to decide on sending observers,” said Quraishi, who now serves as a polls observer for international organisations.