By IRNA,
New Delhi : General election will be held in emergency -ruled Bangladesh on December 18, ending nearly two years of caretaker administration by a military-backed interim government, chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed announced.
“In order to avoid obstacles on the way towards democratic transition and to pay respect to the major political parties’ request, the election commission has decided to stage the general election ahead of the other polls,” Fakhruddin Ahmed said in a televised speech telecast nationwide, Saturday, Indian official media reported.
He also announced that the election to the ‘Upa-zilla’ or sub- districts would be held on December 24 and 28.
Ahmed’s announcement came as the independent election commission completed its crucial third round of talks on electoral reforms and other election issues with major political parties.
Bangladesh has been ruled by the interim government since January 2007, when President Iajuddin Ahmed canceled scheduled general elections and declared a state of emergency, following widespread violent protests for electoral reforms.
The caretaker government launched a massive anti-graft drive, which imprisoned several high profile politicians including two former premiers.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s two former premiers, Sheikh Hasina and her arch-rival Khaleda Zia, have agreed to hold talks to resolve their differences, a step seen as vital for restoring democracy in the emergency-ruled country.
“Both leaders agreed to sit together for a dialogue. Neither of them put any condition,” senior Supreme Court lawyer Rafique-ul Huq, who is acting as a liaison between the two leaders, told reporters on in Dhaka.
Huq, a former attorney general, is also is the chief counsel of the two ex-premiers as they were faced with a number of graft charges.
Both were also detained over corruption charges.