Election can be held in Dec, but would require cutting short on reforms: CA’s press secy

The next national election can be held in December of this year if the political parties want, but it would require cutting short on state reforms, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today (7 January).

"If they want more reforms, the election can be delayed by six months," he also said while addressing a discussion event at the auditorium of the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Dialogue organised the event titled "Political Orientation: Reforms and Elections".

Speaking on the occasion, Alam said ousted premier Sheikh Hasina had established a monarchy in Bangladesh in the last 15 years.

"Thousands of murals were built all over Bangladesh. This government got hold of a plane that was sure to crash," he said.

Alam, however, stated that currently, reserves, the law-and-order situation, and commodity prices are all stable. "Managing expectations is the biggest challenge at this point."

The press secretary also stated that the interim government has issued directives to agencies not to obstruct media freedom. 

Also speaking at the event, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman's Adviser Mahadi Amin said, "There is no alternative to dialogues. Awami League's fascism basically stood on the blood of the opposition forces. BNP was the most prominent [party] in this self-sacrifice. This effort of BNP was to create people's ownership."

Speaking about BNP's stance on extortion allegations against its activists, he said, "BNP has a zero-tolerance position in the case of extortion. So far, more than 1,000 activists have been expelled from the party."

He also alleged many people are misrepresenting the issue of BNP activists "reclaiming their property" as extortion. 

On state reforms, he said the BNP has been raising its voice for reforms for the last eight years and is working to that end.  "Tarique Rahman already proposed a bicameral parliament in 2012."