Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2018 to Question 142766 on Bangladesh: Elections, whether he has received a request from the Bangladeshi Government to scrutinise that country's forthcoming elections; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the safety of such monitors of scrutinising those elections.

​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to scrutinise the forthcoming general election. As previously answered, the UK does support election monitoring through a Department for International Development project that funds domestic observers to monitor the political environment around the election, including observation of sub-national elections. This project will also provide local observers to monitor conduct on the day of the general election.

No specific assessment of the environment for potential UK based election monitors has been made. Domestic observers are experienced and have mitigation measures and systems in place to manage their own safety, something that is paramount for the HMG. So far they have conducted their activities with little hindrance, but DFID and partners continue to monitor the situation.

In addition, I have been clear with Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties that elections in Bangladesh must be free, fair and pluralistic, this includes ensuring that conditions for voting are safe. I delivered these messages to Government of Bangladesh interlocutors including Foreign Minister Ali, during my visit to Bangladesh from 29 June to 1 July.