& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

US asks for explanation on polls plan

Staff Correspondent
The United States is waiting for an explanation from the Bangladesh government about how the January 5 elections are going to be held, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said yesterday, after a meeting with US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena.
"Election means casting of votes by the people. It is not happening," Muhith quoted Mozena as saying at the meeting.
FROM PAGE 16
The minister added the US was also awaiting a statement from the government on how it would face the situation before and after the election.
The two held nearly a two-hour meeting at the secretariat to discuss the election process, recent violence, the economy and the Grameen Bank issue.
Replying to a query, Muhith said Mozena asked him about the government plan for the post-election situation given the current circumstances.
According to the Election Commission's latest data, 154 candidates have already been elected unopposed. Of them, the Awami League bagged 127 seats, Ershad's Jatiya Party 21, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal three, Workers Party two and Jatiya Party (Manju) one.
On another question, Muhith said he could not tell the LIS ambassador anything about the situation as discussions between the two major parties were still on, and that things would get clearer after the talks concluded.
"No election is going to be held in half of the country. We, particularly me, are concerned about it," the minister told reporters.
Asked if they would form a government after the January 5 election, he said, "Ofcourse."
On whether the IIS would be comfortable to work with a government elected in this way, he said: "I cannot say this. They are waiting for the government's explanation about the election."
During the meeting with Mozena, Muhith
described Jamaat-e-Islami as a terrorist organisation and stressed the need for banning it. Fie, however, said it should not be done right now as the organisation might in that case go underground.
Asked about US's stance on the Jamaat issue, Muhith said: "Mozena did not disagree with it."
He said the economy had been seriously affected by the shutdowns and blockades. He described this movement as a terrorist movement and said all the economic indicators had been going down.
On the garment industry; which is among the worst hit sectors, the minister said the government was considering possible incentives for the sector.
Mozena declined to comment on the meeting with Muhith, but later told reporters after a meeting with the foreign secretary that the IIS was assessing the evolving situation.
He said the current situation underscored the need to proceed more urgently to find some way for an election.
"We're still assessing the situation. I'm certainly aware of that," he said when his attention was drawn to the 154 candidates already elected unopposed.
"I think, the dialogue, as I understand, is still open...it certainly underscores the need for that to proceed more urgently to find some way that there can be kind of elections that people of Bangladesh want and people of Bangladesh deserve," he added.