Chief Advisor Says Acceptable Elections Will Be Held Before Ramadan

Chief Advisor to the Interim Government Dr. Muhammad Yunus has said that the 13th general election will be held in the country before Ramadan in February next year. The government is committed to holding credible elections. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva spoke to Professor Yunus via video call from Washington DC on Tuesday (September 16) evening. Dr. Yunus made the remarks at the time. This information was reported in a BSS report. BSS reported that Dr. Yunus told Georgieva that the interim government is committed to holding timely and credible elections. The elections will be held before the holy month of Ramadan in February. After the elections, he (Dr. Yunus) will return to his previous work. BSS reported that the IMF Managing Director highly praised Muhammad Yunus’ leadership. He said that Bangladesh’s economy has significantly turned around since Professor Yunus took charge and this achievement is his own. Professor Yunus said his government has already taken several steps to restructure the banking sector and strengthen revenue collection. “We inherited a devastated and completely collapsed economy,” he said. “Some people literally ran away from the banks with bags full of money.” Recalling the economic crisis, the IMF chief said, “I am impressed by your achievements. You have done a lot in a short period of time. When the risk of a downturn was very high, you took charge of the country. You were the right person at the right time.” He recalled his first meeting with Georgieva at the UN General Assembly session in New York last year and said that this meeting played a significant role in Bangladesh’s economic recovery. The chief adviser to the interim government reiterated that credible elections would be held in time before the holy month of Ramadan in February. He also made it clear that he would return to his previous duties after the elections. Over the phone, the IMF chief stressed on reforms in Bangladesh’s banking sector and increasing domestic revenue. “Bold reforms are inevitable if Bangladesh is to emerge strong at this critical juncture in its history,” he said. Professor Yunus said the government has already taken steps to bring about structural changes in the banking sector and increase revenue collection. “We have inherited a completely collapsed economy,” he said. “Some have literally stolen bags full of money from banks and fled.” Regional issues also came up in the discussion. Professor Yunus mentioned the ongoing youth movement in Nepal and Bangladesh’s aspirations to join ASEAN. He also informed about the progress of major infrastructure projects, including the new port and terminal project in Dhaka. Financial Advisor Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed and Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Majumder were present at the time. Financial Advisor Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed and Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Majumder were present during the discussion.