In a meeting with the Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said continuously boycotting elections is not good for any party.

He said this while talking to reporters after meeting the ambassador at the ministry’s office on Sunday.

“The topic of the upcoming election was raised during our discussion. I made it clear that the next election will uphold the principles of being free, fair, and transparent; the Election Commission is responsible for it,” he said.

He mentioned the issue of boycotting elections and said, “I stressed the point that boycotting elections is never beneficial for any party. Simultaneously, we delved into preventing political violence in the country, reminiscent of incidents in 2013-14-15, which the BNP has been attempting intermittently.”

In our discussion, I assured him that the election would be fair and free, said Hasan, adding that it would involve the active participation of the people and various political parties.

Regarding Japan-Bangladesh relations, the minister said, “I thanked the Japanese ambassador for Japan's consistent economic and infrastructural support over the last 52 years. Our conversation also touched upon the prospect of closer collaboration for the future development of the country.”