Emergency to be lifted before polls

Outgoing British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury yesterday said they would hope that the state of emergency would be lifted ahead of the elections.
“In Bangladesh, people want freedom during election period as people take election as a festival. So, we hope that this situation will be created through withdrawal of the state of emergency ahead of the elections,” the Bangladeshi-origin British diplomat told reporters after making a farewell call on Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman at the commerce ministry.
Replying to a query, he said if the state of emergency is not lifted ahead of the elections, emergency should be relaxed to the maximum extent for holding a free, fair and credible election.
“But all have to consider normal law and order situation, and for that we said about relaxation of the emergency in maximum level. We hope that it would be lifted,” Anwar said, adding that a proper atmosphere should be created for giving people the chance to do election campaign.
Commenting on doubt in public mind about holding of the election at the scheduled time, the high commissioner said since he is an “optimist” he hopes that the election will be held as per the electoral roadmap.
“If people have any doubt about the election in time…Their past experience is responsible for that. But, we are not observing any doubt about the holding of election according to the scheduled time,” he said.
Anwar said the government would have to take initiatives to erase all doubts from public mind. “Declaration of election schedule can remove people's doubt over holding elections.”
He said people believe that the election would be held in December or earlier, but the declaration of election schedule could make people confident about it.
“The caretaker government gave assurance several times of holding the election before the end of 2008 and we have no doubt about it.”
Asked about government's pre-dialogue talks with political parties, the outgoing envoy said he is not the right person to make any comment on the issue. But he hoped that it would be successful.
“We want fruitful dialogue and through it political parties would come to a commitment and will move forward,” Anwar added.