Bangladesh to hold election by April next year: Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus
Dhaka, Jun 6 (PTI): Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Friday announced that the national election will be held in the first half of April next year, according to a media report.
The announcement comes amid recent protests by the former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) demanding elections by December this year.
During a televised address to the nation, Yunus said the Election Commission will provide a detailed roadmap in due course, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
“There is immense public and political interest regarding the timing of the election. As I’ve said before, it will be held between December and June. The government is working to ensure an environment conducive to a credible election within this timeframe,” he said.
Yunus, who took charge after the toppling of the former premier Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government in August last year, said that the government’s key responsibility is to hold a clean, peaceful, festive, and inclusive election.
“Our goal is to prevent future crises. That requires institutional reform. Without ensuring good governance in the institutions directly linked to the electoral process, all the sacrifices made by students and citizens will be in vain,” the 84-year-old Nobel Laureate said.
He reiterated that the current administration was formed with three mandates: reform, justice, and election.
“We believe that by the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, we will reach a broadly acceptable position on reforms and justice — particularly in addressing crimes against humanity, as part of our collective duty to the martyrs of the July uprising," he said.
On May 28, former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) intensified pressure on the Yunus-led interim government as tens of thousands of youths staged a massive rally demanding elections by December.
"The national election must be held by December. Preparations must begin immediately," BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman said as he joined the rally through a virtual platform from London.
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UP: Gunmen open fire at patient inside Aligarh hospital, flee; victim critical
Aligarh (UP) (PTI): Two armed assailants allegedly walked into a hospital here and fired at a man who was undergoing treatment at the facility, injuring him severely, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Neeraj Kumar Jadaun told reporters that the victim has been identified as Vedpal (32), a resident of a village in Khair police station area. He was rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital following the incident, and his condition remains critical.
One person has been arrested in this connection, while hunt is on to nab the two shooters, he added.
Citing information provided by Vedpal's family, the SSP said Vedpal had developed relationship with a girl from Mathura and was planning to marry her soon. However, the girl's family -- including her father, who is a police constable -- opposed this proposal and arranged her marriage elsewhere last month.
Despite this, Vedpal continued attempting to contact the girl. He even went to meet her family last month, where he was severely beaten up and warned with dire consequences if he kept pursuing the matter.
According to the family, Vedpal was admitted to a local hospital two days ago to undergo surgery for the injuries sustained during the earlier beating.
The SSP said based on CCTV footage, police have identified the attackers; one of them is the girl's brother, also a police constable posted in a neighbouring district.
He said the details of the incident have been forwarded to the police headquarters to facilitate departmental action against the police personnel involved in the crime.
The girl's father -- a police constable posted in Baghpat district -- has been arrested in the cae, while the police are searching for the two armed assailants.
