Polls schedule in next few days: Asif Nazrul

The date for the upcoming national election will be announced within a few days, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul said on Thursday, July 31.

Speaking at a press conference on reforms and current affairs at the ministry, Asif Nazrul emphasised the interim government’s commitment to restoring public trust in the electoral process.

“We could not vote in the last three to four elections. Will we be able to vote in the future?” a journalist asked.  Asif Nazrul responded firmly: “Of course, you will. Everyone will be able to vote.”

Reflecting on the long democratic deficit, the adviser shared a poignant classroom memory:  

“When I used to teach, I would ask my students - ‘Who among you has voted?’ They would laugh. Some would say, ‘Sir, I voted - but for 10 or 12.’ Ninety percent said they hadn’t voted at all.”  

He added, “That sorrow will end. We have been denied the right to vote for 18 years. That chapter is closing.”

When pressed on when the election date would be finalised, Asif Nazrul said: “Just wait a little. You will hear the announcement in a few days.”

Addressing concerns about the credibility of past elections, particularly those after 2008, he said:  

“There is no question about the 2008 election? I disagree. There is room to question even the 2008 election. Journalists like you will uncover a lot of troubling information about it.”

He stressed that the upcoming election will be fundamentally different. “The Election Commission will oversee the entire process,” he said. “But I can tell you about our government’s intention: to hold the best election in the history of Bangladesh. That is what the Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, always tells us.”

He iterated that the interim government’s sole mission is to ensure a free, fair, and internationally acceptable election – one that truly reflects the will of the people.