No legal barrier to prevent Awami League from polls: EC

DHAKA: There is "no current legal barrier" preventing the Awami League from contesting polls, Bangladesh chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has said, amid lawsuits in courts seeking orders to bar the Sheikh Hasina-led party from participating in the national elections, the date of which is yet to be finalised. He also announced that preparations for the national polls are in progress, days after Bangladesh interim govt chief Muhammad Yunus said elections - pending since the fall of the Hasina govt in Aug - are likely to be held between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Addressing concerns about the participation of Awami League in the elections, Nasir Uddin, during a 'view-exchange' meeting in Chittagong on Monday, said, "It is primarily a political matter." "Some individuals have filed lawsuits seeking court orders to bar the Awami League from participating. If the court issues such a verdict, we will act accordingly. Otherwise, it remains a political decision," he said. The CEC asserted that "there is no current legal barrier preventing the party from contesting".

In a discussion on finalisation poll date during a 'view-exchange' meeting in Cumilla, Nasir Uddin, said, "We are awaiting reports from various reform commissions, including the election commission reform. Once we receive these, we will have a clearer idea about the timeline for the elections (with a specific date)."

Issue ‘July Uprising Declaration’ by Jan 15: Students’ outfit

A day after the Bangladesh interim govt initiated efforts to draft a ‘July Uprising Declaration’ based on “national consensus”, leaders of a student organisation, which led protests to oust the Sheikh Hasina govt, on Tuesday demanded it be issued by Jan 15, a move apparently backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami, reports Ahsan Tasnim. The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement had initially planned to announce its own declaration, but cancelled it after the govt announced the ‘July Uprising Declaration’, which is being seen as a move to give the July-Aug protests the stature of the declaration of liberation. I

Yunus pays tribute to Manmohan Singh at mission

Bangladesh chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday visited the Indian high commission in Dhaka and paid tributes to former PM Manmohan Singh, who passed away last week, reports Ahsan Tasnim. Yunus, who was received by high commissioner Pranay Kumar Verma, placed a floral wreath at the portrait of the late PM. The chief adviser spoke briefly with Verma, and recalled his friendship with Singh, saying he played a big role in turning India into a global economic giant. The chief adviser also paid tributes to former US president and fellow Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter, who died on Saturday

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