Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Electoral Commission of Bangladesh in administering free, fair, and transparent electoral processes.

The Election Commission in Bangladesh has an essential role in delivering the free, fair and inclusive elections that are essential for Bangladesh. The UK has repeatedly called on the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to allow the Election Commission to carry out its important work free from political influence. We have also called on the political parties to create the effective dialogue necessary for a free, fair and inclusive elections process to take place. The Foreign Secretary met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Ali during his visit to Bangladesh from 9 to 10 February. He stressed the importance of free, fair elections and affording political space to the opposition. I did the same when I met with Foreign Minister Ali on 19 April in the margins of the Commonwealth Summit 2018.