DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Army-backed authorities were under pressure yesterday to lift a state of emergency to ensure the country’s first elections in seven years go ahead as planned.
A Bangladeshi court yesterday asked the government to justify its state of emergency that allows fundamental civil rights to be suspended. A High Court panel is reviewing a citizens’ petition seeking a constitutional ruling on the emergency powers, court officials said.
Civil and political rights in Bangladesh have been suspended since a state of emergency was promulgated in January 2007 in the wake of political turmoil centering on the country’s ninth parliamentary elections.
The army-backed interim government of Fakhruddin Ahmed is planning to hold elections to return the country to democratic rule, now set for Dec. 29. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia said yesterday it would not take part in the elections unless the state of emergency was first lifted. “We want a clear decision from the interim government that the state of emergency would be lifted at least from Dec. 11,” Khondakar Delwar Hossain, secretary-general of BNP told reporters.
The demand came a day after the government agreed to another BNP ultimatum and delayed the election by 11 days from Dec. 18.
The Awami League of another former Prime Minister Hasina Wajed said it had accepted the new polling date in the interest of the country. “(But) the government should not delay the election any more,” Syed Ashraful Islam, spokesman of Awami League told a news conference.
