The European Union will not send election observers if the next parliamentary polls are not participatory.
The message was communicated to the BNP during a meeting in Gulshan on Sunday by an eight-member European Union delegation led by EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley.
The rest of the delegation comprised EU heads of the missions from Denmark, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Sweden and the Netherlands.
"We will not send election observers to Bangladesh if the elections are not participatory or inclusive," Whiteley said yesterday.
"That's what we told the BNP delegation," he said.
The BNP delegation included its Secretary General Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Organising Secretary (Dhaka division) Shama Obaid, and Human Rights Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Asad.
During the meeting, the BNP delegation made clear the party's position that it will not take part in the parliamentary election if held under the incumbent government.
The opposition party has been demanding the next national election under a non-partisan interim government, arguing that the polls under the partisan government will not be free and fair.
The BNP, which boycotted the 2014 parliamentary election, did not take part in the dialogues organised by the Election Commission last year and got only six seats in the 2018 national polls.
The Awami League government, on the other hand, is determined to hold the election under the partisan government as per the constitution.
Foreign diplomats, especially from western countries, have been calling for dialogues between the two sides and a peaceful and participatory election, especially in the context of alleged irregularities in the last two parliamentary elections.
Also, during a meeting with Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader last month, the EU stressed the need for peaceful and participatory elections.
Charles Whiteley said the EU already wrote to the foreign ministry on February 16, seeking written confirmation that Bangladesh welcomes EU election observers.
The foreign ministry is yet to respond to the letter.
"We are ready to send an election observation mission to Bangladesh. The EU High Representative Joseph Borrel considers Bangladesh as a priority country for sending election observers," he said.
There are three phases when it comes to sending election observers.
First, an exploratory delegation will visit the country for assessing the situation six months before the election. Then, a long-term delegation will come, most probably two months ahead of the polls.
Finally, another team of EU election observers will come for observing the election. There may be other countries who will join the EU election missions, Whiteley added.
However, if the election is not participatory and contested, there is no point in sending the observers, he said.
Asked if they suggested BNP to participate in the polls, the EU ambassador said it was not for foreign friends of Bangladesh to make such suggestions.
"We are a helpful friend of Bangladesh. We have been saying that the elections should be peaceful and inclusive. We said it again," he added.
