New Delhi, Feb. 12 -- Despite receiving an official invitation from Dhaka to monitor the proceedings, India opted not to send official observers to avoid any perception of interference.

Responding to queries during the weekly media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We did receive an invitation for sending Observers, we have not sent our Observers to Bangladesh to observe the elections."

By staying away from the polling stations, New Delhi ensured that the "credibility" of the election remains a matter for the Bangladeshi people and the international community to judge, rather than being "validated" by an Indian presence.

India awaits the election outcome to assess the mandat...