Bangladesh’s military-backed non-party caretaker government may gradually relax the state of emergency in an effort to create congenial atmosphere for parliamentary elections that it has vowed to hold by the year end.

The country’s president had promulgated a state of emergency on January 11 last year in the wake of nationwide political unrest and fear of fraudulent parliamentary elections.

The government is also considering lifting restrictions on political activities. Currently, political parties are allowed to hold indoor meetings in Dhaka. The government may allow them to hold such meetings nationwide.

Restrictions on holding rallies, calling strikes and staging demonstrations will, however, continue for some time.
The administration will soon open dialogue with political parties on reforms and elections in line with the decision taken by the advisory council on Thursday. “We hope the government, election commission and political parties will hold discussions between themselves to pave the way for an ascent to democracy,” the Chief Adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, said in a nationwide broadcast on Saturday night. “I reaffirm our commitment to holding the nation election by December 2008 and if possible even earlier.”