Meeting with EU envoys: Yunus hints at announcement on polls this month
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday hinted that there would be “some kind of announcement” regarding the direction of his government’s reform process and the next parliamentary election.
The disclosure came at an interactive session with the envoys of 19 European countries at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon. The Delhi-based heads of missions and representatives of Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Romania were present at the meeting along with the Dhaka-based heads of missions of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.
However, before holding the next election, necessary reforms should be carried out, Yunus told the envoys.
When the interim government took charge, it was assigned two responsibilities: transferring the power to the elected government and reforming the whole apparatus of the nation, policies and institutions and so on.
The twin responsibilities are progressing in the same direction, Yunus said.
As many as 15 different commissions are working. The commissions are expected to hand in their reports by the end of December or the middle of January.
Certain reforms have to be finished before the election, particularly the recommendations that would come from the election reform committee commission, Yunus told the envoys.
Once all the election-related reforms are done, the government will be ready for election.
If all reforms cannot be done now, the government will “ask the nation whether they will wait for further reforms or they will go ahead with the election”.
“I can’t give you the date now. I can only say that this is the process we are going on. We can come up with some kind of announcement this month on how the process will go.”
Yunus also urged the European countries to relocate their visa centres from Delhi to Dhaka or another neighbouring country as many students are unable to travel to Delhi to get their visas due to India’s restrictions on visas for Bangladeshis.
In the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, he also outlined the oppression, exploitation, forced disappearances and human rights violations that have occurred over the past 15 years to the EU envoys, according to a statement from the chief adviser’s press wing.
He discussed corruption, money laundering and disruption of the banking system during the period, accusing the former prime minister of using laundered money to destabilise the country after she was ousted.
Yunus also sought cooperation from all to prevent the large-scale misinformation that is being spread about Bangladesh. He also urged the EU to provide support for Bangladesh to transform its energy sector.
Issues pertaining to labour rights, trade benefits, climate change, human rights, the International Crimes Tribunal Act, Rohingya repatriation and mutual commitments toward building a sustainable future were discussed.
Michael Miller, ambassador and head of the EU delegation to Bangladesh, welcomed the interim government’s commitment to a “peaceful and inclusive” transition, underpinned by good governance, democratic values and respect for human rights.
“The EU is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s democratic transition the best way we can. We ask that the government is mindful of the need to uphold the rule of law and respect due process and fundamental rights.”
LondonGBDESK//
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