Interim govt's reform work likely to be prolonged: Badiul Alam Majumdar

Badiul Alam Majumdar, head of the Electoral System Reform Commission, has said he believes that the reform work undertaken by the interim government is likely to be prolonged.

He made the remark today in response to a question from journalists during an event titled "Presentation of the Situation Monitoring Report on Girl Children," held at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

The army chief today told news agency Reuters that the interim government would conduct reforms and hold elections within a year and a half. In response to a question about whether it would be possible to complete the reforms and hold elections within that time frame, Badiul said, "It's not for me to know. I believe this will be determined through discussions between the government and political parties. I have no role to play in this matter."

He added, "I believe that this process will be prolonged. There will be a dialogue between the political parties and the government. A roadmap will be created, and based on that, a collective decision will be made."

In response to a question about what reforms the Election Commission will complete within the time frame, Badiul said, "We will review all aspects of the electoral system and, based on that, formulate recommendations. It is not our responsibility to implement them. We have been given 90 days to complete our work."

The interim government has formed six commissions to reform the constitution, electoral system, police, judiciary, anti-corruption efforts, and public administration. These commissions are expected to begin their work by October. The government asked them to submit their reports by 31 December after completing their tasks.