Dhaka- A British minister on Wednesday arrived in Dhaka to weigh Bangladesh's political situation as it prepares to return to democracy with parliamentary elections slated for December
18.

On his arrival, Lord Mark Malloch Brown - minister of state for Asia, Africa and the United Nations - met with Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, a Foreign Affairs Ministry official said.

Brown was expected to call on the chief adviser to the military-backed interim administration responsible for holding a fair election.

Chowdhury said after his meeting with Brown that they discussed political developments toward holding a peaceful election.

The vote is to choose an elected government for Bangladesh after emergency rule was imposed in January 2007 and a government appointed in the wake of political violence.

During his visit, Brown was also scheduled to call on MA Matin, home affairs adviser; Moeen U Ahmed, chief of army staff; and senior leaders of the major political parties, a British High Commission release said.

Brown, former deputy secretary general of the United Nations, is also to meet a range of civil society figures as well as Bangladeshi members of UN peacekeeping forces and hold a roundtable discussion with human rights defenders. (dpa)