KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 7 (UNB): Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said here Monday that his government is ready to extend the same gesture to detained former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia which was shown to another ex-premier, Sheikh Hasina, through her interim release for treatment abroad.
"Sheikh Hasina was released through a legal process for her treatment abroad and the government has issued notification in this regard. If she (Khaleda) desires, same gesture will be extended to her-there is no hesitation about it," he said at a meeting with Bangladeshi community in the ballroom of Hotel Renaissance tonight.
The Chief Adviser made the remarks responding to a question as to why the government is not setting free Khaleda Zia the way Sheikh Hasina went out of prison.
He said the government wants that competent persons should get elected through participation of all parties in the general election. Caretaker government is no competitor to anyone.
Dr Ahmed said there is no room for confusion about the general election before the end of December this year, and the government extends all-out cooperation to the Election Commission to get there.
"The main objective of the government is to hold a free, fair and acceptable election and transfer power to an elected government," he told his audience of expatriate Bangladeshis.
During the question-and opinion-making session, the audience, representing different classes of Bangladeshi community, including university teachers and traders, asked him about the general election, tenure of the caretaker government, listing expatriates as voters, anti-corruption drive and problems facing the expatriate workers.
About the tenure of the caretaker government, Dr Ahmed said they took oath under the constitutional provision of the caretaker government. "I think it will not yield any result by debating it. We don't want to make the caretaker government controversial," he said.
Dr Ahmed said election rules are being prepared, which would be finalised in a few weeks. If voters and candidates abide by the rules, it would certainly be possible to hold a credible election and elect honest and competent candidates.
He said only few months are left before the elections and the elected government would run the country. Process of the local-body elections started and the general election will be held accordingly.
Regarding registration of expatriate Bangladeshis as voters and giving them voter ID cards, the Chief Adviser said all Bangladeshi nationals deserve to be voters and get ID cards. But the voting right of the expatriate Bangladeshis is a complex subject. The Election Commission has already visited some countries, and hopefully they will be able to reach a decision after examining it.
Asked about continuity of the anti-corruption drive, he said the incumbent government has set up an independent Anti-Corruption Commission. Those who will come to power next will carry on the drive. "If corruption could be hated and the corrupt are not given indulgence, it will be easy to curb corruption," he said.
On soaring prices of essentials, some members of the audience criticised the recent remarks by the Finance Adviser, which stirred a storm at home also.
The Chief Adviser admitted that the prices have gone beyond the tolerable levels and people are suffering. But, he said, in the present world government does not control the market. But the government is sincere to monitor the market prices.
Dr Ahmed said the government is going to enact the Right to Information Act which will enable the institutions to be transparent and people will be able to get information.
About the problems facing the expatriate workers, including in Malaysia, he said the Foreign Advisor had meeting with the Malaysian Home Minister to sort out the problems.
The Chief Adviser said building skilled manpower is the centre of the manpower-export policy and the government is working to rear skilled manpower according to the requirements of the recruiting countries.
On brain-drain from Bangladesh, the Chief Advisor said it could be checked by ensuring good governance in the state system and high-level transparency.
Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Bangladesh High Commissioner M Khairuzzaman were among others present.
