Bangladesh will go for general elections with a new schedule now and it is difficult to say that how much time the new government will take to meet the political parties’ demand. The new caretaker government would announce new dates for elections in the country.
The council of advisors is reviewing the current situation now. According to the reports, the government will announce the fresh dates only after holding discussions with various political parties.
Earlier, in an important development, the polls scheduled for January 22 were put off. It happened under pressure when the President Iajuddin Ahmed resigned as head of the caretaker government. He had put country in an emergency and the foreign observers had denied taking part in the election process due to the ongoing violence to postpone the elections.
According to the officials, the new dates will be announced when the political groups would believe to have a free and transparent election in the country. The Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was asking to introduce voters’ ID cards, correct voters’ list and reshuffling of the administration to remove partisan men.
However, the new caretaker government led by Fakruddin Ahmed said that the reforms were priorities of the government. According to the government officials, there was no longer a time limit for holding elections.
Earlier, there was a constitutional 90-day timeframe to hold the elections. However, the official said that it is not applicable now.
Matin, advisor for communications, shipping, civil aviation and tourism, and liberation war affairs said that
we would discuss with political parties on their reform demands. If they will stick for national ID cards, it would take as many as six months. If they want only the 2000 voter list to be updated, an election could take place much sooner.
