The EU visiting delegation today expressed hope that the next government of Bangladesh will be formed through a free and fair elections.

They also raised human rights issues including freedom of assembly, freedom of press and arbitrary detention.

The issues were discussed during a meeting between the EU delegation and three secretaries at the state guest house Padma in the capital.

Paola Pampaloni, EU deputy managing director for the Asia and Pacific, led the EU delegation. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Labour and Employment Secretary Ehsan E Elahi and Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Das were present at the meeting.

Masud Bin Momen briefed reporters after the meeting.

"We said we have made a successful defence in the UPR. They [EU delegation] also followed it," he said.

"They have appreciated the progress that we have made in the labour sector but observed that there is a scope of improvement in the areas of child labour workplace safety and labour union," he said.

The EU delegation talked to various stakeholders including BGMEA and expected that the labour unrest will calm down, he added.

The meeting also discussed the reforms of National Plan of Action and its progress and how Bangladesh can get access to GSP plus scheme after the LDC graduation.

"We informed the various steps taken by the government on labour sector reforms," he said.