Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an adviser to the interim government, has disclosed that the government will contemplate elections only after establishing political unity through dialogue and securing firm commitments on specific reforms and amendments.
She made these remarks on Thursday (12 September) during a briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy, following a cabinet meeting led by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus.
In her statement, Hasan mentioned that the government has formed several commissions tasked with recommending state reforms.
However, the implementation of these proposals is contingent upon the consensus of political parties.
She added that no political party would want a repeat of the events of 5 August.
"The commissions will submit their initial reports within three months, but whether these will be implemented depends entirely on political unity. We are seeking the views of the political parties regarding the reforms to achieve this consensus," she explained.
Referring to historical precedents, she remarked, "We have all witnessed the consequences when previous governments, such as Ershad’s, failed to implement reforms. Similarly, political parties that neglected reforms in the past faced the outcome on 5 August. No political party would want to become unpopular and suffer the same fate."
"This is why we have included them in the dialogue on reforms. Once we receive reform proposals, we will resume dialogue. Only after political consensus is reached, with firm commitments and amendments in place, will we move towards elections. The political parties have made it clear: reforms first, then elections. They will surely understand this," she added.
Present at the briefing were Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud and the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.
On Wednesday (11 September) in his address to the nation, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus announced the formation of six commissions focused on reforming the Election Commission, police administration, judiciary, anti-corruption efforts, public administration, and the constitution.
These commissions are expected to submit their reports within three months.
