Staff Correspondent

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Mahfuj Alam on Saturday said the government will form a search committee following the existing law to constitute a new Election Commission for taking forward the relevant activities to hold the next national election.

“The interim government's ‘non-partisan and neutral’ approach will continue in this process without any political influence,” Mahfuj said during a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the evening.

CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were present.

Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus held dialogue with political parties, including Liberal Democrats Party, Gono Forum, Jatiyatabadi Samamana Jote, 12 parties, Jatiya Mukti Council, Labour Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Bangladesh Jasad (Sharif Nurul Ambia), National Democratic Movement at the state guesthouse Jamuna.

Responding to a question, Mahfuj said the government has a clear position about Awami League and the 14 parties that supported the Awami League.

He also talked about those who participated in the last three elections and went to Parliament illegally and there is a position against them from much earlier that they were illegally elected by betraying with people.

Mahfuj said the position is clear that interim government will certainly create a barrier towards their participation (in polls) politically and there are legal and administrative aspects on how this barrier will be implemented. “You will see soon. When election activities will begin, these issues will become clear.”

Banning Awami League and its allies including 14-party came up for discussion. Mahfuj said the government is reviewing this and the government will not take any decision alone but stressed that they stood against people.

The political parties in the dialogue raised the issues like election, reforms, AL’s financial crimes, trial of them for killing people and position about the allies who made AL’s hands stronger.

From the political parties it was also said how the last three parliaments can be declared illegal and they gave their opinions.

Mahfuj said a large number of young people could not cast their votes in the last three elections and the Election Commission, once constituted, will see how they could be included in the updated voter list.

Meanwhile, the Chief Adviser assured the political parties about improvement of law-and-order situation, stability in the RMG sector and addressing the issues of prices of essential commodities.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Dr Col (retd) Oli Ahmad said Bangladesh Awami League should be banned, insisting that they have no right to do politics after its role against 18 crore people of the country in July-August protests.

“Why Awami League should not be banned! We said today again, Awami League should be banned because they waged war against 18 crore people. They have no right to do politics,” he told reporters after holding dialogue with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Saturday.