The United Nations (UN) has clarified that it will not deploy election observers to Bangladesh unless there is a formal mandate from either UN General Assembly or UN Security Council.

Responding to a question at regular press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on January 5, UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation no longer sends election observers on its own initiative.

“No. We do not. The UN itself doesn’t send observers unless there is a mandate from the General Assembly or the Security Council,” he said, when asked about the upcoming national election scheduled for February 12.

However, Dujarric noted that the UN often provides technical assistance related to elections and said he could check whether the UN country office in Bangladesh was offering any such support.

Asked separately about the return of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman after 17 years and its significance for Bangladesh’s democratic transition, the UN spokesman declined to comment on political developments. He said the UN’s role was to support elections and the free expression of the Bangladeshi people’s political aspirations, rather than assess political news.

In response to a question about the death of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Dujarric said the United Nations would convey condolences to her family and to the people of Bangladesh.