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Emergency to be lifted before election

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s military-backed caretaker government has announced the Emergency will be lifted before the December 29 parliamentary polls.

The government made the announcement amid growing pressure from political parties, human rights groups and the international community despite its insistence to prolong the Emergency to check possible law-and-order deterioration. After a meeting with advisers, government’s spokesman Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman said: “Emergency will be lifted fully in due time before the election following recommendations of the Election Commission.”

Meanwhile, Army chief General Moeen U. Ahmed said he would request the government to lift the Emergency before December 29. The government, however, refused to commit to a specific date. A U.N. election assessment team, which met the government’s advisers on Tuesday, also stressed on the need to withdraw the Emergency. Francesc Vendrell, who heads the U.N. team, said: “The general sense I have from the discussion is positive, which means there will be no Emergency until something untoward happens.”

Earlier, General Moeen said though the military “unwillingly” stepped into the political arena on January 11, 2007, the armed forces played a key role in the preparations of the voters’ list, anti-corruption drives, recovery of government land and money, enhancing efficiency of the Chittagong Sea Port, and rehabilitation work after Cyclone Sidr and floods.

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