Interim govt agog with preparation to hold polls in Feb

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, now in America, affirmed that the Interim Government is making comprehensive preparations to ensure a free, fair and peaceful general election in the first half of February.
A spokesman for the CA Office said Tuesday the head of post-uprising government made these remarks during a meeting in New York with Sergio Gor, US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and Ambassador-designate to India.
"The election will be held in February. It will be free, fair, and peaceful. The country is fully prepared," Professor Yunus told the Special Envoy of the United States.
Sergio Gor commended the Chief Adviser's leadership and reiterated the United States' willingness to support the country's efforts.
The two sides discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including trade, South Asian regional cooperation, the revival of SAARC, the Rohingya crisis, and the proliferation of disinformation targeting Dhaka.
The Chief Adviser sought continued US support for more than one million Rohingya refugees currently in camps in Cox's Bazar. In response, the US officials said that their lifesaving aide for the Rohingyas would continue.
Professor Yunus notes that the Interim Government has intensified efforts to revive the dormant forum SAARC, which has not convened in a summit in over a decade.
He also expressed Bangladesh's interest in joining ASEAN, stating that integration with Southeast Asian economies could significantly accelerate the country's development.
Additionally, he emphasised strengthening economic ties with landlocked Nepal and Bhutan, as well as with India's seven northeastern states. "We can accelerate our economic growth through closer regional cooperation," he said.
The Chief Adviser extended an invitation to Sergio Gor to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com