Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Tuesday said that they were preparing for the next national elections with two timeframes – February and April – in mind.
When asked about the possible election timelines, he said that February was mentioned in London and before that April was mentioned.
‘We are preparing with those two timeframes in mind,’ he said while replying to a question from reporters at his office in Dhaka.
Nasir Uddin said that there was no discussion on the election date during a recent meeting with the chief adviser, though they did talk about preparations for the next national elections.
‘No discussion was held on the election date. You will get to know about the election date and schedule from the election commission [in time],’ he said.
The CEC said that Yunus wanted to know whether the election commission was ready to hold a free, fair and credible election.
Mentioning that the chief adviser was very sincere about a democratic transition and holding a neutral and credible election, Nasir Uddin said that their wavelength matched with him [Yunus].
‘We are on the same wavelength when it comes to ensuring a free, fair and credible election. We are preparing in full gear... amidst various challenges we are moving ahead with preparations,’ he said.
About the CEC-chief adviser meeting, Nasir Uddin said that it was a courtesy call. It was his first formal meeting with the chief adviser.
In response to speculation surrounding his two-day absence from office, Nasir Uddin clarified that he was sick and had been admitted to the Combined Military Hospital since Friday.
He said that no one should be guided by assumptions. ‘Some said I was resigning, others claimed I was sick — all based on speculations,’ he lamented.
Referring to comments made in a television talk show that the CEC should not have met the head of government to maintain neutrality, he said that the chief adviser was neutral like him [Nasir].
He noted that during political governments, the CEC typically did not communicate directly with the head of government.
‘Right now our focus is on the national election because the chief adviser is not talking about local elections. His commitment — both at home and abroad — is to hold a national election. We are moving ahead with preparation according to his commitment,’ the CEC said.
Regarding the National Citizen Party’s demand for the current EC’s reconstitution, he refused to comment.
In reply to another question, he reiterated that there was no discussion on a tentative timeframe for the parliamentary polls during the meeting with the chief adviser. ‘We are preparing to hold the election as early as possible, so that we can hold it whenever the government decides.’
