The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday told a visiting British minister that his caretaker government hopes that all the political parties would participate in December 18 general election and a new government would take over after the polls.

"Political parties would certainly come as what we are doing, doing by consulting them. The government and the Election Commission are discussing with the political parties. A new government will come through the election," he was quoted as saying to the British Minister for Asia, Africa and the UN, Lord Malloch Brown.

Lord Malloch Brown made a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser at his office when election, politics, state of emergency, economy, global financial crisis and food stock came up for discussion.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim said about the state of emergency the CA apprised the British Minister of the recent holding of election to four city corporations and nine municipalities fairly and peacefully amid relaxed provisions of the state of emergency for electioneering.

About 70 to 90 percent voter turnedout took place in the local elections, said Fakhruddin, whose interim regime has been carrying on a clean-up drive and politico-electoral reforms since the declaration of emergency in January last year.

"If necessary, whatever has to be done for further relaxing the state of emergency would be done discussing with the political parties for holding the coming parliament election fairly," he told the British minister.

He noted that it would have to be made sure that voters can cast their vote freely without fear, maintaining a congenial law-and-order situation.

The head of the caretaker government said his government's main objective is to hold a free, fair and credible election. Food security and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are also on the priority list of the government, he told the British minister.

About impact of the global financial crisis on Bangladesh, Fakhruddin said it would not have any major impact on the business sector here.

He noted that Bangladesh is conservative on borrowing both locally and internationally. In Bangladesh inflation rate is also low compared to other countries. The British minister appreciated the caretaker government's remarkable achievements and performance under the leadership of Dr Fakhruddin, particularly institutional reforms and completion of voter lists with photographs of over 80 million people in a short time.

On food security, the CA apprised the Minister of two consecutive floods and a powerful cyclone last year which caused massive damage to food crops. The government has tried its best to overcome the situation, he said.

He said the government focused on increased food production, and from its limited resources extended support and supplied agri-inputs to the farmers. And the farmers, by dint of their hard labour, produced bumper food crops, including rice, potatoes and wheat.

The CA said the government built up a food stock and this time has enough food in stock.

Referring to government's various programmes for food-safety net, he said about 15 million people, both in rural and urban areas, were given income and food supports through a number of measures like introducing 100-day programme for employment in the national budget for rural people during lean period and operation of Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice in urban areas.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, British High Commissioner in Dhaka Stephen Nicholas Evans, Head of DFID Bangladesh Chris Austin, Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Shafiuddin Ahmed, Secretary of CA's Office Kazi M Aminul Islam and CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim were present at the meeting.