Three separate amendment bills were yesterday Introduced in the Jatiya Sangsad seeking the extension of time limit to hold elections to the local government councils of three hill districts — Ran-gamatl. Khagrachhari and Bandarban— by 545 days from the expiry of tenure of these councils, reports BSS.

The bills were introduced by the Foreign Minister ASM Mustafizur Rahntan.

The statements of objects and reasons of the bills said that as per Section 10 of the Hill District Local Government Act of 1989, elections to the three local government councils were scheduled to be completed within January 9 of 1993.

On November S. 1992. in a meeting with the Convenor of the committee for resolving the problems of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Communications Minister. Oli Ahmed, the leaders of the so-called Shantibahtni had requested to postpone the election till the return of the Bangladesh tribals staying in the Tripura state of India and till the end of talks with them (Shan tibahtnt),

The Convenor of the Chittagong Hill Tract affairs in agreement with the other members of the committee requested the government to defer the elections by another 365 days for the sake of success of discussion with the leaders of so-called Shan-tibahini. The election Commission has given Its consent on the matter.

Since the Jatiya Sangsad was not In session and since it appeared satisfactory, the President promulgated three ordinances extending the time-limit to hold elections to the local government councils of the three hill districts by 545 days (180+365) from the date of expiry of the tenure of these councils in July last year.

The statements said that the bills should be deemed to have executed from December 12 of 1992.

Opposing the Rangamati Hill Tracts Local Government Council (Amendment), 1993, Fazlul Karim Selim (AL) wanted to know why the Foreign Minister was seeking to Introduce the bill when the Issue concerned the Minister for Local Government Affairs.

He said he would also oppose the bill because the issue was a political problem and it had to be solved politically