Momen seeks UN support amid 'unwarranted, vested political pressure' before polls

Bangladesh has urged the UN to play a constructive role in its political progress in the context of the "undue, unwarranted and vested political pressure" the country is facing from different corners ahead of the election.

The call was made by Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in a letter to Earle Courtenay Rattray, the chef de cabinet to the UN secretary-general, in a letter last month.

The letter was handed over to the executive office of the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres by the permanent mission of Bangladesh to the UN.

Momen confirmed to The Daily Star about sending the letter to Rattray after he struck a rapport with him during the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The letter comes in the face of repeated calls from the West for a free, fair and participatory election -- scheduled for January 7 next year -- after the two controversial polls in 2014 and 2018.

In the letter, which was seen by The Daily Star, Momen said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is "a crusader of democracy and she went through lots of pain to guarantee right to vote, right to food and right to decent life".

"She is determined to hold a free and fair election but will not tolerate burning of public and private properties, burning of human lives alive in the name of demonstration that the opposition party frequently perpetrating."

During her 15-year tenure, she conducted thousands of elections, by-elections, national elections, regional elections and mayoral elections, Momen said.

"Except a microscopic few, all were free and fair."

Bangladesh is a leader in upholding democracy, human rights, justice and human dignity, he said, adding that it is the only country in the world to have shed 3 million lives to establish these.

And yet, the country is facing "undue, unwarranted and vested political pressure from different corners ahead of the polls", Momen said.

"We hope that United Nations system, including its Secretariat, agencies and country office, would play a constructive and collaborative role to assist Bangladesh to remain persistent in its development trajectory. Bangladesh, a proactive and supportive member state, also has high expectation that the United Nations system would continue its cooperation and assistance in our national journey towards the political progress and socioeconomic emancipation of our people."

The country also remains optimistic that the UN system would continue to act as a trusted partner in the efforts to ensure a peaceful, just, inclusive and prosperous future for all at national, regional and international levels.

"We also expect UN officials to maintain highest standard of non-partisanship, integrity and objectivity to uphold UN credibility and respect. If their reports are based on falsity and without objectivity and if not fact-based they may lose their credibility that would be a bad omen for the UN system."

Momen also called for engaging a few Bangladeshi experts and professionals as special representatives of the secretary-general and assistant secretary-general.