Dhaka Bureau: The visiting European Union (EU) Electoral Investigation Mission has asked about the media’s challenges in covering the upcoming parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. They wanted to know this in an exchange of views with media representatives at the EU office in Dhaka on Monday (July 18). Other issues, including media freedom, came up for discussion.
Journalists from different media presented various challenges, including a lack of training. Journalists highlight the security crisis, especially in remote areas, when they cover the news. Members of the EU delegation want to know about field experience in election news coverage. Ricardo Shale, the head of the delegation, said that their delegation has held more than 70 meetings at various levels so far.
These meetings are held at various levels, including government, political parties, civil society, and the media. More meetings will be held during the two-week visit. Based on the results of the meeting, they will prepare a report and present it to the European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Common Security and Foreign Affairs, Joseph Borrell. Ricardo also said that the EU will decide whether to send a monitoring mission. Sending observation missions is very expensive.
Member States will decide on this after reviewing various aspects, including financial aspects. The EU, a 28-member European bloc, usually sends the largest delegation to Bangladesh’s elections. On behalf of the journalists, the delegation was invited to send observers to the upcoming 12th National Parliament election. In 2014, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the BNP to disassociate with the Jamaat and ban groups associated with terrorist activities. Bringing up this topic, the journalists want to know why the delegation met with the Jamaat. In response, the leader of the delegation said that they had held a meeting with the Jamaat as part of discussions with various parties.
Yugantar Chief Correspondent Masood Karim, UNB Special Correspondent AKM Moinuddin, Channel I Special Correspondent Panth Rahman, Jamuna Television Special Correspondent Mahfuz Mishu, and Channel Twenty-four Senior Correspondent Morshed Hasib Hasan were present in the meeting.
