EU urges political parties in Bangladesh to refrain from violence

The European Union Wednesday condemned violence in Bangladesh and urged the political parties to find a political way forward. "We take note of the elections that were held in Bangladesh on 5 January. We are following the situation very closely through our Delegation and through the embassies of our member states in Dhaka," EU foreign affairs spokesman, Michael Mann, told journalists. "We strongly condemn the acts of violence which have occurred both on the run up to the elections and during the elections," he said and noted that opposition parties boycotted the elections and the voter turnout was also low. "We are calling on political parties to refrain from violence and to renew efforts to find a political way forward through dialogue," added Mann. According to media reports, the ruling party, the Awami League, won 232 of the 300 seats in Bangladeshs new parliament. Over 20 people were reported killed on Sunday in clashes between police and opposition activists.