Dhaka, Dec 16: Bangladesh interim government Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus on Monday indicated a timeframe of mid 2025 or early 2026 as the time for holding elections in the country, provided there is a political consensus on the issue.
He also announced his government’s intentions on allowing Bangladeshi expatriates abroad to be able to cast their votes.
He made the announcement during his address to the country on its Victory Day, the day the Pakistan army was defeated, leading to the creation of Bangladesh.
This is the first time that the Chief Advisor provided any possible timeline for the elections which have been a lingering issue between the interim government and its allies; particularly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party which has repeatedly brought up the issue.
“I have repeatedly appealed to you to complete all major reforms before we hold the elections. However, if, and I repeat – if – there is a political consensus on the matter, it may be possible to complete a few reforms, prepare an accurate voter list and hold elections by the end of 2025,” he said, according to bdnews24.
He further emphasised that the timeline for the elections depends on the recommendations of the Electoral Reform Commission and the Constitution Reform Commission, which are currently conducting evaluations.
“Everything takes time. If we want to improve the election process and implement the necessary recommendations, the Election Commission should be given sufficient time to carry out these reforms,” he said as per The Daily Star.
“If we take on board the recommendations of the Electoral Reforms Commission and the expected level of reforms in the electoral process through the political consensus, it may take at least another six months. Broadly speaking, the election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026,” he added.
Highlighting the extensive work required to update the voter list, he said “The task is more challenging this time because voters did not participate in the last three elections, and the voter list has not been verified for over 15 years.”
UNI
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