Election Commission (EC) Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the delegation of the United States is satisfied with the overall preparations of the EC and very optimistic about successful elections in Bangladesh.
He told this to reporters after holding a meeting with a US delegation on Wednesday.
The four-member US delegation, including US Ambassador in Dhaka Brent T Christensen, met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the morning.
Talking to reporters, Akhtar Ahmed said although the United States will not officially send observers in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and referendum, it will keep a watch on the election informally.
The EC Secretary said the US has informed the commission that no US observers' team will come to Bangladesh to monitor the election.
However, he said, an independent team will come from the United States and a team of US Embassy in Dhaka will visit Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram and Khulna at their own initiative to observe the election.
Akhtar Ahmed also said, "This is not an official visit. They will go and see what the voting situation. They have expressed their desire to us in this regard and the commission has welcomed their initiative."
During the meeting, he said, the US delegation wanted to know about the overall management of the election and it was more curious about the postal ballot.
The EC senior secretary said the EC informed them about its overall preparations regarding the postal ballot, as well as showed the sample ballots.
"They told it is a complex, quite difficult matter. However, they appreciated our initiative and wished the EC overall success," he said.
Akhtar Ahmed further said that the US delegation also wanted to know about the EC's overall preparations regarding the issues of the electoral code of conduct.
"We have informed them that we have an Electoral Inquiry Committee and a Complaint Management Cell. These things are being coordinated by contacting those working here," he said.
Besides, he said, the delegation wanted to know about law and order during the polls and they informed the US delegates of about 9.5 lakh law enforcement personnel working at different levels.
And the US delegation expressed satisfaction to this end, the EC senior secretary added.
Election Commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Begum Tahmida Ahmed, Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar, Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, US Embassy Political Officer David Moo and Political Expert Firoz Ahmed, among others, were also present at the meeting.
