New York  - A three-member United Nations panel is scheduled to visit Bangladesh next week to assist the caretaker government there in organizing parliamentary elections, the UN said Friday.

The Bangladeshi government requested UN help to assess the situation and make preparations for the elections in December. The panel will visit the country Sunday to November 29.

The UN said the panel will "assess the preparations and conduct of the elections through visits to Bangladesh before and during the elections."

The panel will be headed by Francesc Vendrell, a former European Union representative in Afghanistan; Bhojral Pokharel, the chief election commissioner of Nepal; and Aracelly Santana, the former official of the UN Electoral Assistance Division. The panel will report findings to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. (dpa)