Finance Minister AMA Muhith has revealed a possible date for voting in the next parliamentary polls though the Election Commission is the authority to fix and announce it.
The voting may be held on Dec 27, Muhith said at a meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday with newly elected councillors of Sylhet City Corporation, reports bdnews24.com.
The election-time government will have to be formed by Sept 25 if the date mentioned by Muhith is finalised.
The EC will have to hold the election between Oct 30 this year and Jan 28 next year.
EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed earlier said they might organise the voting in the last week of December.
On being asked about the date mentioned by Muhith, the secretary told bdnews24.com that he was not aware of any communication between the EC and the minister.
“The commission is yet to discuss the voting date. The dates will be finalised during the announcement of the schedule,” Ahmed said.
Muhith’s comments, however, were not vague. “I’ve spoken to the Election Commission and learnt that they are proposing Dec 27 as the voting date,” he said.
The minister is also favouring the date. “There is not many days left in December due to observance of Martyred Intellectuals Day and Victory Day. They’ve proposed the 27th and the voting is highly likely to be held on that day,” Muhith said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may announce the election-time government within next 20 days considering the possibility of Dec 27 as the voting day, he added.
The small election-time government will consist of representatives from all the parties having representation in parliament, but no-one from the BNP which sits out of parliament after boycotting the last general election, Muhith said.
The election-time government will only do routine job, but will not take any new plan.
Before the 2014 parliamentary elections, Hasina formed a tiny cabinet but the BNP had not sent any representative despite calls from the government though the party was part of the 10th parliament.
It had demanded a caretaker government during the elections at that time.
Its demands include a non-partisan election-time government and release of its chief Khaleda Zia from jail this time.
Leaders of the party say the people will not allow any election if these demands are not met.
Muhith, however, sees no problem in holding the elections even if the BNP boycotts it again.
“I assume that the election will be full of competition. The BNP must realise that they will vanish if they don’t contest in the election this time,” he said.
“And I think it’s tough to rig votes.”
