Bangladesh News

Awami League (AL) yesterday demanded that the caretaker government hold election as early as possible to hand over power to an elected government.

“Reform work on the Election Commission and preparation of voters’ list will have to be completed swiftly for holding an early election and handing over power to an elected government,” AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters while entering Sudha Sadan for meeting AL chief Sheikh Hasina yesterday.

“Like the US State Department, we have been repeatedly demanding announcement of the election schedule at the earliest,” he said.

Jalil also praised the present military-backed caretaker government for its success in different initiatives.

Asked about the present government’s successes and failures, Jalil said every government has its successes and failures. “This government has also successes in many spheres. But they could not succeed in one or two instances,” said the AL leader without naming them.

Jalil, however, refrained from making any reply when asked to comment on the 120 days of the state of emergency.

Following slackening of security measures yesterday, several AL leaders and relatives of former premier Hasina met her at Sudha Sadan.

AL leaders Abdur Rahman, Khandaker Mossarraf, Hasan Mahmud, Khaledur Rahman Tito, Delwar Hossain, Abdur Rob Chowdhury, Qamrul Islam, Dhirendranath Shambhu, Sarwar Hossain, Hosne Ara, and wife of detained Swechchhasebak League General Secretary Pankaj Debnath, among others, visited Sudha Sadan.