15 foreign missions call for free, fair, inclusive electoral process

Fifteen foreign missions in Bangladesh, including those of the USA, the UK, the EU and Japan, reaffirmed the importance of adhering commitment to peaceful assembly and free, fair, inclusive, electoral processes in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"We celebrate the freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirm the importance of all UN member states adhering to their commitments to free expression, peaceful assembly, and elections, among others outlined in the Declaration," reads a joint statement released on Tuesday on the upcoming Human Rights Day on 10 December. 

"We support and promote democratic governance as a set of values and principles to follow for meaningful participation, equality, security, and inclusive human and economic development," it adds.

The statement further mentions, "We, as friends and partners of Bangladesh, eager to further support its success, reaffirm the importance of free, fair, inclusive, and peaceful electoral processes in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

The other foreign missions mentioned in the statement are the Australian High Commission, High Commission of Canada and the embassies of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.