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Bangladesh may lift emergency

DHAKA: The caretaker government in Bangladesh has announced that it would initiate a dialogue with political parties for transition to democracy.

In an address to the nation over the state-owned radio and television, marking the completion of one year of the interim government, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed announced that he would lift the ban on indoor political activities and withdraw the state of emergency.

However, he did not specify a time-frame for lifting the emergency, stating that it would be considered, depending on the given situation.

The head of the interim government, which was installed following a political turmoil late last year, said his government was committed to holding parliamentary polls by December 2008, and if possible, ahead of it.

Shifting from its longstanding policy not to talk to parties, Mr. Ahmed urged political leaders to take advantage of the dialogue process to be initiated soon.

Against the backdrop of the widely perceived view that the authorities were targeting only politicians, Mr. Ahmed said no political party was an opponent of his government.

On the ongoing anti-corruption drive in which nearly 200 top politicians, including two former Premiers have been put on trial, Mr. Ahmed said the cases would be pursued irrespective of their status.

Mr. Ahmed’s speech elicited mixed reactions from political parties.

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