Sakhawat disputes talk of turmoil, says interim govt wasn’t bound to hold polls by any date
The labour adviser stated that an election should be held in the country, and an elected government should assume power to establish the universal democratic process
Questioning a reported chaotic situation in the country's political arena, Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser for labour and employment, has maintained that the interim government did not assume power with any prior conditions requiring it to hold a general election within a specific timeframe.
Talking to reporters at the Secretariat today (8 December), he said, "Did anyone push the [interim] government and say, 'You must hold an election within one to one and a half years'? Was there any such condition when this government assumed [its role]? There were none."
Political parties do not know what they will do or what their future holds. Is this something new in Bangladesh? Didn't the same thing happen after 1/11?
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"The government itself stated that an election will be held. If political parties get busy in response to that election, the government cannot interfere. So, I am trying to understand how the situation is bad," he explained.
His responses came when a journalist asked whether he was satisfied with the current political situation. The adviser said, "In the current political situation, political parties do not know what they will do or what their future holds. Is this something new in Bangladesh? Didn't the same thing happen after 1/11?
"But we are living with it. Political parties are not fighting each other. They are talking to each other."
Political chaos could only be genuinely claimed when the government and political parties stand on opposite sides, he added, suggesting that is not the case at the moment.
Adviser Sakhawat, speaking at a press conference on the achievements of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the past year, said only the Election Commission (EC) can say if the environment for an election was prevailing.
However, when a journalist pointed out his long history of working with the EC, he responded, "I have forgotten. I have nothing to say about the election. I am ignorant about the election. I have no idea. The EC will be able to say it."
He reiterated his position on the interim government's mandate: "Wherever we have gone, we have said the election will be held on time. Didn't I just say that nobody grabbed us by the neck and demanded, 'You must hold an election by such and such date'?
"When we assumed our role on 8 August [in 2025], nobody gave us a mandate saying, 'You must hold an election within one/one and a half/two years'. There was no talk about it."
The labour adviser stated that an election should be held in the country, and an elected government should assume power to establish the universal democratic process. "We have not seen the democratic process established in the last 17-18 years. If we can achieve that, it will be our great credit."
He expressed confidence that the government had no reason not to deliver a credible election.
