They issued a joint statement on Monday stating what they want to see before the Dec 30 election as the formal campaign period begins. They urged all stakeholders "to uphold and protect the citizens' rights to universal suffrage, freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly and welcome the commitments made by the Bangladesh Election Commission and the government in this respect." They urged all political parties to meet their democratic responsibilities and to refrain from violence and law enforcement agencies to strictly adhere to the rule of law. "Media and civil society scrutiny is particularly important in ensuring transparency throughout this process,” read the statement. “Participatory elections constitute an important step in the ongoing process of national development for all Bangladeshi citizens.”

Source: bd News24 December 10, 2018 10:30 UTC