Polls roadmap to be announced after electoral reforms: CA

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today said the Election Commission (EC) will be formed soon while an election roadmap will be announced after competing reforms in electoral system.

"Once the electoral reforms are decided, you will get the election roadmap very soon," he said while addressing the nation this evening on the completion of 100 days of the interim government.

The address was broadcast on Bangladesh Television and BTV World.

Noting that there is a question in everyone's mind that when the elections will be held, Prof Yunus said the government has started taking necessary steps to hold the elections.

"The Election Commission will be formed in a few days. Since then, all the responsibility of arranging the polls will fall on them (EC)," he said.

The chef adviser said the EC can take necessary tasks, including updating the voter list, which are directly related to a free polls.

Prof Yunus said apart from dealing with the daily affairs of the state, the government has to think about the reconstruction of the future Bangladesh.

"You all know that our most important task is to hand over the power to an elected government by holding a free and fair election. We continue our regular communication with political parties and are taking their opinions on various issues," he said.

Mentioning that their opinions are being reflected to a large extent in the decision-making of the government, the chief adviser said each of their opinions is being actively taken into account in the ongoing reform process.

"We hope that the reform commissions will be able to submit their recommendations to the government within stipulated timeframe - December-January. We will continue to discuss their proposals with political parties. We will finalise the reform proposals on the basis of consensus of all," he said.

For the first time, he said, the government is working so that Bangladeshi expatriates can exercise their voting rights through postal ballots.

"But, we do not think that our duty to arrange an election will end once the Election Commission is formed. Reform in the state system is one of the pledges of our government. You gave us this mandate," he said.