Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Tuesday emphasized the government's commitment to and national aspiration for "credible and inclusive" elections.

He also highlighted that a significant number of first time voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the next election.

The issues werw discussed when a three-member United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment team led by UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) Gwyn Lewis called on the Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, they also discussed about the ways to ensure the voting rights of the Bangladeshi expatriates.

The team is visiting Bangladesh at the request of the Bangladesh Election Commission to support their efforts to hold credible and inclusive elections in the country.

The team comprised of Sara Pietropaoli, and Aditya Adhikari, Political Affairs Officers of UN Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UN DPPA) and Najia Hashemee, Advisor of UNDP.

During the meeting, the Mission informed the Foreign Secretary about their plan to engage with the electoral stakeholders of the country to assess the needs, based on which technical assistance can be provided for the next parliamentary election, according to the MoFA.

Upon consultation with different stakeholders, they are expected to provide recommendations to the Election Commission.