By NNN-PTI,
Dhaka : Bangladeshi President Iajuddin Ahmed Monday signed an ordinance for withdrawing the state of emergency with effect from Dec 17, as the country readies to go to the ballot after nearly two years under an interim caretaker government backed by the military.
“The President has signed the order (repealing the Emergency Power Ordinance 2007),” Secretary of the president’s office Mohammad Sirajul Islam told PTI.
He said Ahmed also signed an order for lifting the emergency rules, which is to be sent to the home ministry for action while the order for repealing Emergency Power Ordinance would go to the law ministry for required actions.
Ahmed had promulgated the state of emergency on Jan 11, 2007 with crucial military support as the current caretaker government of chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed was installed the following day.
The government last week announced that the state of emergency was set to go on Dec 17 while certain clauses of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) barring street rallies and marches were lifted on December 12 to facilitate electioneering ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Elections are scheduled to be held on Dec 29 marking the country’s return to democracy after two years.