Assuring Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today said the interim government would take all necessary steps to ensure that the upcoming national election is free and fair.
The chief adviser made the remarks during separate meetings held at the state guesthouse Jamuna today, where leaders of NCP and Jamaat also discussed the mechanism for implementing the July Charter, the referendum, and the roadmap for the trial of July killings, CA press wing said in a release.
To make the election peaceful and festive, he sought cooperation from all active political parties, including Jamaat and the NCP.
"You can rest assured about our neutrality. We have already taken a number of steps to hold a free, neutral, and fair election; you will see many more initiatives in the coming days," the chief adviser told NCP and Jamaat leaders during their meeting.
The NCP delegation, led by its convener Nahid Islam, first held a meeting with the chief adviser.
Other members of the delegation included the party's chief organiser for the northern region, Sarjis Alam; senior joint convener Samanta Sharmin; and joint convener Khaled Saifullah.
Later, Jamaat's Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Taher led a four-member delegation of the party. Other members were Jamaat's Secretary General Professor Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General ATM Masum, and Rafiqul Islam Khan.
Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, and Industry Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan were present at both meetings on behalf of the government.
During the meeting, Nahid Islam said, "We want an assurance of the roadmap for the trial of the July killings and the implementation of the July Charter before the election. The government must take firm action in this regard."
At that time, the chief adviser urged the NCP to sign the July Charter, saying, "This charter is a priceless asset for the nation; participation of everyone is important here."
The chief adviser also assured the NCP that the National Consensus Commission was working on the process of implementing the charter.
Nahid Islam informed the chief adviser that the NCP had already sent a letter to the commission seeking a discussion with the legal experts involved in it.
Immediately after the meeting with the NCP, Jamaat leaders met the chief adviser.
They demanded that a referendum on the July Charter be held before the national election.
"The referendum must be held before the national election because the July Charter contains many issues linked to the national polls," Taher said during the meeting.
He also said, "If the referendum and the national election are held on the same day, there is a risk that the voting process will be prolonged."
Jamaat leaders also expressed full confidence in any decision taken by the chief adviser to ensure the neutrality of the election-time administration.
The chief adviser told leaders of both NCP and Jamaat that he would personally oversee any administrative reshuffle before the election.
He assured them of the necessary measures to be taken in coordination with the Election Commission.