Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus stated on Tuesday that the Awami League (AL) would not be able to participate in the upcoming election.
The chief adviser made the remark during a visit from Dutch Vice-Minister for International Cooperation Pascalle Grotenhuis at state guesthouse Jamuna, according to a press statement.
The chief adviser went on to say that this was due to its activities being banned and the Election Commission suspending its registration earlier.
According to the statement, the two leaders discussed Bangladesh’s democratic transition, with the chief adviser reaffirming the government’s commitment to holding a free and fair election in the first half of February.
It went on to add, “During the meeting, they also discussed expanding cooperation in a range of areas, including agriculture, trade and investment, technology, youth development, and the potential of a social business fund for young and women entrepreneurs.
“Professor Yunus said a record number of young people would cast their first ballots in the upcoming election, as they had been unable to vote in the three rigged general elections held under the previous autocratic regime.”
Describing the upcoming elections as “a historic moment for all of us”, the chief adviser said, “The young people who filled the walls of Dhaka and other cities with graffiti and drawings during the uprising will now come to vote.”
The visiting Dutch minister praised Bangladesh’s election preparations, noting that the interim government had only a few months to get ready for the vote.
Pascalle Grotenhuis also commended Bangladesh’s newly enacted labour laws, saying they would help attract more Dutch and European investment.
The sweeping reforms, approved by the cabinet earlier this month, were signed into law by the president yesterday.
