UN congratulates Bangladesh on polls, referrendum

The United Nations has congratulated Bangladesh on holding its recent parliamentary elections and referendum, reaffirming its commitment to supporting the country in building a peaceful and prosperous future.

“The Secretary-General, António Guterres, as he often does after elections, encourages all political stakeholders to build on the momentum to strengthen national cohesion, uphold democratic norms and the rule of law,” his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a regular briefing at UN Headquarters on Friday.

The UN chief also called on political actors to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all citizens and to protect minority communities as Bangladesh advances its transition and pursues inclusive and sustainable reforms.

Responding to a question, Dujarric said the UN did not observe the elections and therefore would not assess their quality. 

“We were not observers to the elections, so it’s not for us to give a grade,” he said. “What I can tell you is that we congratulate the people of Bangladesh for holding the legislative elections and a referendum.”

He added that the UN remains committed to assisting Bangladesh in its efforts to secure a peaceful and prosperous future.

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Saturday held telephone conversations with BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and Jatiya Nagorik Party chief Nahid Islam. 

He urged all parties to work together to meet the expectations of the people.

Yunus thanked them for playing a responsible role following the election and expressed hope that political parties would continue their cooperative and constructive engagement to sustain the democratic process.

The Election Commission has already published separate gazette notifications for 297 Members of Parliament.

Voting was held on Thursday in 299 out of 300 constituencies in 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order 2025. 

The election in Sherpur-3 constituency was cancelled earlier following the death of a candidate.

On Friday, Election Commission announced unofficial results for 297 constituencies, while the results of Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 were postponed in line with court orders.

SH