Bangladesh to hold general elections on January 7: election commission chief
The Hindu
The last day to submit nomination papers will be November 30
Bangladesh will hold the much-awaited general elections on January 7, the chief election commissioner announced on Wednesday, amidst violent protests by the Opposition BNP and its allies demanding a non-party interim government to conduct transparent polls.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal announced the dates of the 12th general election during an address to the nation that was telecast live - the first such kind of announcement in the history of Bangladesh.
Mr. Awal said the last day to submit nomination papers will be November 30 while scrutiny of nomination papers will be from December 1 to December 4.
The last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 17. The election body will allot election symbols to candidates on December 18.
Mr. Awal also said the election campaign will run from December 18 to January 5, 2024 midnight.
Ahead of the announcement of the poll date, Bangladeshi authorities on Wednesday enforced a tight security vigil in the capital and other major cities.
The announcement of dates came amid mounting political tensions as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its far-right allies like the Jamaat-e-Islami have waged a street campaign demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to allow a non-party interim government to conduct the general elections.
With a new government in place in Delhi, Singapore hopes to schedule the Ministerial Roundtable with India shortly, says Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. In an exclusive interview, he speaks about the impact of the elections on ties, the “missed opportunity” of RCEP and the new buzz around Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.