AL delegates meet CEC

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's adviser HT Imam yesterday said the government will take necessary measures to maintain environment conducive to free and fair elections to local government bodies beginning from December.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamusl Huda on Saturday expressed concern over the recent spate of violence in different parts of the country including the latest one in Natore killing BNP leader Sanaullah Noor Babu ahead of the elections.
“We hope the situation will improve. The government is committed to holding free and fair elections and it will do whatever is required in this regard,” Imam, prime minister's establishment affairs adviser, told reporters after a meeting with the election commissioners.
Imam led a four-member ruling Awami League (AL) delegation and held the talks on the upcoming elections at the Election Commission (EC) secretariat.
The EC plans to hold municipal and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) elections in December this year and union parishad elections across the country early next year.
The AL delegation agreed with the plans.
Asked about the discussion, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said the delegation enquired about the commission's plan on holding the polls.
“The delegation assured the EC that the government will provide all-out cooperation to hold the local government bodies' elections,” he said.
The CEC was also present during the talks.
The commission earlier had planned to hold the long overdue DCC polls in April this year but the government disagreed with the plan.
Asked about this, the premier's adviser said the government has no objection to holding the DCC and municipal elections in December and those of union parishad in March.
Earlier, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said elections to municipalities and union parishads will be held by December this year.