US to Dispatch Pre-election Surveillance Team in October : Ambassador Haas

The US will send a monitoring team to Bangladesh in early October to assess the pre-election environment before the country's parliamentary elections, according to US Ambassador Peter Haas.

"I informed him [chief election commissioner] that in early October, US will send a pre-election monitoring team," Haas told reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal at the Election Commission office today.

The team will include specialists from the International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, and persons with extensive expertise in election preparation and monitoring.

However, he stated that he was unable to offer the team's precise timetable at this time.

According to sources at the office, Haas arrived at the EC office at 11:10am to meet with the CEC.

At the planned meeting, they are joined by EC Secretary Jahangir Alam and Election Commissioner Ahsan Habib.

The meeting's agenda could not be revealed right away.

Peter Haas visited CEC Habibul Awal on June 8 of last year and expressed their desire for a general election that would allow the people of Bangladesh to freely select their leaders.

The 12th national elections will probably take place in late December or early January of this year.