Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh’s long-awaited national election will be held before February 15, regardless of the government’s decision on the proposed referendum, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Friday.
“The Chief Adviser will make the final decision on the referendum issue. Whatever the decision may be, the election will be held before 15 February— no power can delay it,” Shafiqul told reporters after an event at Noakhali Science and Technology University.
He said differences of opinion among political parties were natural in a democracy. “When there are political parties, there will be disagreements — that’s how democracy functions. But no political heat can prevent the election,” he added.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to hold polls on time, he said, “The interim government is firmly committed — there is no power capable of stopping it.”
The Press Secretary noted that the Chief Adviser and the Advisory Council would take the final call on the schedule, adding that the polls would “most likely be held in the first half of February.”
Shafiqul said the interim government was working in the interest of the people and all political parties. “The July Charter has been signed by major parties, commissions have submitted reports, the economy is reviving, and trial proceedings are progressing,” he said. He also confirmed that the court is expected to announce the date for the verdict in Sheikh Hasina’s trial on 13 November, adding that “all pending issues are being dealt with systematically.”