The United Nations has expressed its optimism for a free and fair election process in Bangladesh while raising concerns about a substantial number of arrests made in the country.

During a briefing held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday (6 November), Stephen Dujarric, the spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the UN, shared these sentiments.

Stephen Dujarric was questioned during the briefing about the recent developments in Bangladesh, with the Election Commission engaging in dialogues with major political parties to ensure the fairness of the upcoming elections. However, the main opposition party, BNP, did not participate in the dialogue held on 4 November. Meanwhile, they observed a blockade program, resulting in several casualties, including the loss of a police officer's life.

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In response to this situation, Stephen Dujarric said, "Well, I can't speak to why, I mean, I don't have the details.  I can't speak to why one party did not attend the dialogue.  What I can tell you is that we very much hope for fair and free elections in Bangladesh, free of violence. 

Dujarric also noted that the global organisation has expressed concern about the significant number of arrests that have taken place in the country.

"And as we said, we've expressed our concern about the large number of people who've been arrested."