The next national elections will be held before June 30, 2026 as Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus has given a roadmap, Press Secretary to the chief adviser Shafiqul Alam has said.
Responding to queries from journalists during a regular briefing of the Chief Adviser's Office at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital's Bailey Road on Tuesday, Alam said the exact election date would depend on reform measures taken by the government.
"You can expect the elections are going to be held by June 30, 2026. He [chief adviser] has given a deadline for holding the polls. What else could be a clearer roadmap than this?"
Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad were also present during the briefing. They said the exact election date would be announced by the Election Commission (EC) while the government would facilitate its activities.
Azad said announcing the election and nomination paper submission dates is the job of the EC, while the government's job is to support the commission.
The press secretaries also said the chief adviser is scheduled to fly to Egypt in the early hours of Wednesday (today) to join the D-8 Summit beginning the next day (December 19).
The leaders of several countries, including Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan will also join the summit. The theme of this year's summit is "Investing in Youth and Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises, Shaping Tomorrow's Economy."
The press wing of the Chief Adviser's Office said a decision had been made to rename the University Grants Commission (UGC) University Commission and also strengthen it.
Alam said the interim government is working on various issues, including education, step by step.
He said the quality of information communication technology (ICT) education would be enhanced to world-class levels soon.
"Compared to global standards, our budgetary allocation for education as a percentage of gross domestic product is very low. The previous government made some unnecessary investments but did not allocate enough for education," he added.
Alam said training and other facilities for private sector teachers would be increased.
Responding to a query, he said those responsible for the July-August killings of innocent people must face trial. "Whoever's hands are stained with blood and were involved in enforced disappearances must face trial."
Alam said the interim government does not know whether Awami League leader Obaidul Quader stayed in Bangladesh for three months after Sheikh Hasina's ouster as it has got no evidence.
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