Secretary-General calls for peaceful elections in Bangladesh

Expressing concern at election-related violence in Bangladesh, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appealed to the country’s major political forces “to work together to find a common ground for the elections acting in the interest of democracy and the welfare of the entire nation.”

In a statement issued by his spokesman, he said also voiced confidence that mediation efforts brokered by President Iajuddin Ahmed will “find a way out of the present crisis will bring about the desired results.”

President Ahmed recently assumed the additional responsibilities as head of the Caretaker Government, which under the Bangladeshi constitution is charged with overseeing and ensuring free and fair elections, due in January.