Dhaka, Dec 6 (IANS) Stating that "world needs Bangladesh democracy," a visiting senior US official Tuesday said the forthcoming parliamentary polls would be "most monitored" by the international community.

Close to 400 international observers - around 300 from the EU and 71 from the US - will be arriving here for monitoring the elections. Besides, thousands of Bangladeshis will be trained to observe the polls.

"Bangladesh is the third-largest moderate Muslim democracy... we are keenly watching it in Washington," US Deputy Assistant Secretary John Gastright said.

The US is closely watching the run-up to the polls in Bangladesh with its envoy, Patricia Butenis, playing a pro-active role, along with envoys from the US, European Union and Japan in engaging all concerned with the polls.

Analysts have said that even though these activities were well beyond the diplomatic call, they helped ease and resolve the political stalemate, especially the revamping of the Election Commission.

Gastright is the second senior US State Department official to visit Dhaka in less than a month. His senior, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, was here last month interacting with people in the government, politicians and businessmen at the height of political turmoil that gripped Bangladesh the whole of November.

Gastright, who had consultations with the leaders of major political parties, advisers to the caretaker government and the Election Commissioners over the election issues, said he was optimistic about free, fair and credible elections here.

He observed that the caretaker government and the Election Commission are working hard and seriously to move the process forward, The Daily Star newspaper said.

Gastright warned against any army intervention in the poll and political process, saying that it will certainly negatively affect Dhaka-Washington military relations and Bangladesh's peacekeeping operations.

"I don't think army step is the right thing for Bangladesh. It will certainly negatively affect military to military cooperation, give a negative signal to the whole world and affect Bangladesh's participation in the UN peacekeeping mission," the visiting US government functionary said in an interview to United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency.

Asked what the US position would be if any party finally stays away from the polls, or voting is marred with rigging, he said: "Certainly international community will not endorse the results."

The possibility of a poll boycott was debated in the context of the countryside agitation by the 14-party alliance through the last month when neutrality of President Iajuddin Ahmed, who is doubling as chief Advisor of the caretaker government and that of the Election Commission were challenged in public and before the court.

Analysts said his remarks about Bangladesh being "the third largest moderate Muslim country" were in the context of the rise of radical Islam, especially since 9/11, in the last five years.

The Bush administration and US think tanks have taken serious note of this phenomenon, seeing linkages with the Al Qaeda sponsored global terrorism, but also the detention and punishment of some of activists whose organizations were banned in the last two years.

Specifying the US concerns, Gastright said that he hoped the next elected government would implement policies to address the issues of corruption, extremism, literacy, business-friendly policy, and infrastructure development with a world-class port.