Finance Minister A M A Muhith said on Monday the upcoming national election can be held on December 27.
"I had talks with the Election Commission. They are probably giving the same proposal," he also said.
The minister was briefing newsmen after a meeting with the newly-elected mayor and councilors of Sylhet City Corporation at his secretariat office.
Mr Muhith further said a small-sized interim cabinet will be formed three months before the election, may be in next 20 days. Political parties, having representations in the present parliament, will be part of the new cabinet.
No member of the civil society and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will be included in the poll-time government.
The finance minister, however, noted that the present assembly will persist until a new one is formed. This parliament has tenure until January 25, 2019.
Mr Muhith foresaw the next election as a contested one, although BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed the reverse opinion.
"It should be understood that if BNP does not participate in this election, it will disappear as a political party. I think the BNP people will ultimately agree to take part in it."
The minister expressed certainty that the next election will be a free and fair one.
"There is no chance of holding unfair election nowadays."
The national polls will be fair like the recent polls in Sylhet City Corporation, he added.
syful-islam@outlook.com