The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday expressed his optimism that the next general election would be held before the scheduled time by the Election Commission (EC).

"I hope that the election would be held as per the roadmap of the EC and it may be held before the timeframe of the EC," he said.

The Chief Adviser said this while exchanging views with the chief reporters and senior journalists of various dailies and electronic media at his office here yesterday afternoon.

Dr Fakhruddin said his government is also working for creating a conducive atmosphere for holding a free, fair and credible election, which is the key objective of the caretaker administration.

He said his government is extending necessary support to the EC for enabling it to complete its gigantic task of holding the poll in time and in a credible manner.

The Chief Adviser categorically said the aim and objective of the caretaker government is to hand over power to an elected government after holding a free and fair poll acceptable to all.

He said the government, which took office 10 months back in a critical juncture, is implementing different reforms in various important institutions to give democracy a strong footage, ensure good governance and create a level-playing field for holding a peaceful election.

Referring to participation of 'war criminals' in the next polls, Dr Fakhruddin said, "It is unexpected that the war criminals will contest in the polls. The issue should be resolved through the legal process that who are the war criminals."

He said the government has no plan at this moment to raise such issue like bringing the war criminals to justice anticipating derailment from its main objective to hold the next poll in a fair manner.

The chief of the interim caretaker government, however, expressed his regret that the past successive governments did not take any decision in this regard during the last 36 years.

The Chief Adviser listed various programmes undertaken by his government aiming at ensuring good governance and strengthening democracy in the country.

The judiciary has been strengthened by separating it from the executive and the local government bodies would be made stronger, he added.

About the price spiral of essentials, including rice, wheat, pulses, edible oil and powdered milk, in local markets, Dr Fakhruddin admitted that the price hike hit common people.

He, however, said prices of essentials went up in the local markets following increase of the prices in the international markets. He said none could even imagine that the price of wheat would surpass that of rice.

The Chief Adviser said the government has been extending social safety net by introducing the open market sales (OMS) and the vulnerable group feeding (VGF) across the country.

He hoped that the VGF would have an impact on soaring prices in the rural areas and said the government has started distributing 59,000 VGF cards from last August which will continue until December.

Replying to a question on fertiliser, he said there will be no fertiliser crisis as the government had taken an initiative to distribute adequate quantity of fertiliser among the farmers through about 4,500 dealers across the country.

Dr Fakhruddin said the government is going to appoint three sub-dealers under each main dealer to improve the distribution system. He said his government has undertaken a programme to distribute 28 lakh tonnes of fertiliser among the farmers this year against the last year's 25 lakh tonnes. Besides, he said the government has also expedited its monitoring process to ensure smooth supply of fertilisers to the farmers.

Referring to manpower export, he told newsmen that the export of manpower to various countries became double during the last eight months against the corresponding period of the last year.

Now, he said the government is looking for new destinations to export manpower along with taking efforts to send skilled manpower besides non-skilled one to the Middle-East.

Dr Fakhruddin told another questioner that the present caretaker government has taken the responsibility for a fixed time to attain a certain mission of holding a free and fair and neutral poll, and has been concentrating on achieving the goal properly.

He said the EC has been updating rules, acts and regulations regarding the polls, and now holding dialogues with the political parties on electoral reforms.

Asked whether as the head of the government he would hold dialogues with the political parties as his predecessors had done it, he replied in the negative saying the government has no such plan at the moment ahead of the polls.

The Chief Adviser said steps are being taken for overall development in the education sector, including streamlining private universities by the University Grants Commission (UGC), and determining proper ways to appoint officials to most senior posts, including the vice-chancellors.

Similarly, he said the government has also taken steps to increase service standard in the health sector, recruiting more nurses and paramedics.

The Chief Adviser said he had instructed the health ministry to achieve 100 percent success in immunisation in the next two years.

Replying to another question whether the government would lift the state of emergency from the country, he said it had been imposed for a certain reason. "But it is not hampering the normal life of the people," he said adding "the government will lift it as and when necessary atmosphere is created."

Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Syed Fahim Munaim, among others, was present on the occasion.