No reason to worry about national election: Asif Nazrul

Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul has said there is no reason for concern regarding the national parliamentary election, and the government is determined to hold it in the first half of February.

He made the remarks on Sunday (November 9) while speaking to journalists after exchanging views with judges at the Legal Aid Office of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court building in Rajshahi.

“There is no issue of delaying the election. The national parliamentary elections will definitely take place. Everything necessary will be done to create a festive atmosphere,” he said.

Asif Nazrul also noted that political parties sometimes make statements to put pressure on each other or on the advisers. Some of these statements may contain elements of truth, which can create public apprehension about the election. “It has been 16–17 years since the last election. For this reason, some concern exists among the people. Five crore people have never had the chance to vote, which is very important to them. The general public of Bangladesh is eagerly waiting for the election, and there is excitement among them,” he added.

Regarding bail, the adviser said it does not depend solely on judges. “It also depends on police reports. Exceptions occur if there is evidence in video footage or audio recordings.”

He added, “Where bail is justified, it can certainly be granted. However, if someone who obtains bail may commit similar crimes again, disrupt the country’s law and order, or act as an active member of a banned organization, granting excessive bail in such cases would alarm us.”

He further stated that three judges are now being assigned where a single judge used to preside, in order to reduce case backlogs in the courts. “We are taking various initiatives for court reform. The benefits will definitely reach the people,” he said.