Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday (November 18) said a record number of young people would cast their first ballots in the upcoming national election, as they had been unable to vote in the three rigged general elections held under the previous autocratic regime.

He said the Awami League would not be able to participate in the election because its activities have been banned and its registration has been suspended by the Election Commission.

“It is a historic moment for all of us. The young people who filled the walls of Dhaka and other cities with graffiti and drawings during the uprising will now come to vote,” the Chief Adviser said when Dutch Vice-Minister for International Cooperation Pascalle Grotenhuis called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna.

They discussed Bangladesh’s democratic transition. The Chief Adviser reaffirmed his government’s commitment to holding a ‘free, fair, credible and festive’ election in the first half of February.

During the meeting, they discussed expanding cooperation in a range of areas, including agriculture, trade and investment, technology, youth development, and the potential of a social business fund for young and women entrepreneurs.

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The visiting Dutch Vice Minister praised Bangladesh’s election preparations, noting that the interim government had only a few months to get ready for the vote.

Pascalle Grotenhuis also commended Bangladesh’s newly enacted labour laws, saying they would help attract more Dutch and European investment.

The sweeping reforms, approved by the cabinet earlier this month, were signed into law by the President on Monday.

She said the Netherlands plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Public-Private Partnership with Bangladesh’s investment authorities, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing.

She expressed hope that the MoU would be signed soon, paving the way for increased Dutch investment in Bangladesh.

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“For 50 years, Bangladesh and the Netherlands were development partners. Now we want to transform this into an equitable partnership in politics, trade, and investment,” she said.

The minister added that Dutch companies that have long purchased goods from Dhaka are now looking to invest and become working partners in Bangladesh.