Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said that the tenure of the interim government will be less than four years, and their intention is to hold the election as quickly as possible. "I didn't say that I will be (in power) for four years. This is the maximum term. But that's not our intention. Our intention is to get it (hold polls) done as quickly as possible," he said while responding to a question during an interview with Qatar-based media Al Jazeera. Prof Yunus said the exact timeframe for the interim government's tenure has not been determined yet. He said the regular government is for five years and the new Constitution may say four years, probably. "It should be under four years, that's for sure. It may be less," Prof Yunus said. 27 envoys of European countries to meet Prof Yunus soon in Dhaka The chief adviser said it is all about what people and political parties want. "If political parties say forget about it (reform), give the election, we will do it," Prof Yunus said. Asked if he plans to stand for election, Yunus said, "I am not a politician. I enjoy my role and what I have been doing. In my last stage of my life, I am not going to change that." In the interview, Dr Yunus acknowledged the challenges ahead. “Bangladesh is deep in corruption because of the system that we had for the past 15 years – mismanagement, misgovernance, the destruction of our institutions,” he said, adding that rebuilding the system “point by point, sector by sector” will be a “big task”. Highlighting the important reforms before the next national elections, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday pledged that they will hold the desired elections on completion of some necessary reforms. Reforms aimed at ensuring ‘free, fair’ elections: Dr Yunus tells UK Minister “I am not sure how much opportunity we will get to implement the reform proposals. But I am giving you a word, if you give us a scope, we will hold your desired elections after completing some necessary reforms. Till then, I request you to be patient,” he said in a televised address to the nation in the evening, marking the completion of 100 days of the interim government. The Election Commission will be formed in a few days, the chief adviser said, adding that all the responsibility of organising the elections will fall on the Election Commission once it is formed. Mentioning that the question of when the elections will be held is on everyone's mind, Prof Yunus said they want to create an electoral system that will be followed for ages in the country and it will help save the country from any political crisis. “For this, I am seeking the necessary time from you. Once the decision on electoral reforms is made, you will also get the election roadmap very soon,” said the Nobel Laureate who took oath as the chief adviser on August 8.

Two of the three parliamentary seats were won by Awami League’s candidates in Thakurgaon and one by Jatiya Party's ‘plough’ in the 12th parliamentary elections. Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan elected by 140,000 Magura-I constituency Ramesh Chandra Sen and Mazharul Islam Sujan from Awami League won in Thakurgaon-1 and Thakurgaon-2 respectively while Hafizuddin Ahmed from Jatiya Party in Thakurgaon-3. Hasina wins Gopalganj-3

Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Maj Gen A K M Nazmul Hasan said that the force is ready to deal with any law and order situation centered on the upcoming elections. The BGB chief came up with the remark during an exchange of views with BGB members at Chuadanga battalion headquarters on Sunday. Four private airlines, inc. three that are closed, owe CAAB over Tk 1223cr It is to be noted that BGB DG Major General A K M Nazmul Hasan visited  BGB Kushtia sector headquarters along with the headquarters of BGB Chuadanga and Maheshpur battalion, and also remote Udaynagar Border outpost (BOP) located at Padma Char area and several other BOPs, including historical Mujibnagar BOP in Meherpur district on Saturday and Sunday, says a press release here on Sunday. During his visits, the DG BGB took salutes at the quarter guard of the battalion headquarters, planted trees and exchanged views with all the members at the battalion and BOP levels. During the exchange of views, the chief of the paramilitary force instructed the BGB members to be ready to deal with any law and order situation in the wake of the upcoming National Parliamentary elections, besides giving various directions on operational, training and administrative issues. Obaidul Quader's ministry asked to investigate why the same contractors get jobs He expressed optimism that the 228-year-old traditional organization - Border Guard Bangladesh - will continue to work as a vigilant watchman of the country's borders as well as to stop any kind of smuggling including drugs. It is to be noted that as a part of the visit, BGB Director General Chuadanga visited Integrated Check Post (ICP) on Sunday. During this time, the Sector Commander of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Krishnanagar Sector, A K Arya (Shri A K Arya) extended floral greetings and greetings to him. Onus for participatory election not on Election Commission, says commissioner Besides, the DG BGB exchanged greetings and views with all levels of BSF officers and jawans present there and expressed the hope of working together to further advance the existing friendly relations between the two forces of the two close neighboring countries. Senior officials of BGB Headquarters, Jeshore Region Commander, Kushtia Sector Commander and other officers of concerned BGB battalions were also present during the visit.

Martha Nyanguour didn't have time to bury her husband, son or granddaughter when they were killed by gunfire in September. Instead, the 50-year-old paid her respects by throwing bits of grass over their bodies, grabbed her remaining children and fled. It had taken years for the mother of seven to muster the courage to return to South Sudan and trust its fragile peace deal ending a civil war. But weeks after she arrived in Atar town in Upper Nile state, fighting erupted between militias aligned with government and opposition forces. Also Read: Abducted Bangladeshi peacekeeper rescued in South Sudan "I thought if there was peace I was supposed to go back to my land," said Nyanguour, seated under a tree in Kowach village in Canal Pigi county where she now lives with thousands of other displaced people, five days' walk through swamp water from her home village. "I thought maybe there would be peace in the future, but now, hearing gunshots daily, I think South Sudan will remain in war." In 18 months, South Sudan is supposed to hold its first presidential elections, the culmination of the peace agreement signed nearly five years ago to pull the young nation out of fighting that killed some 400,000 people. While large-scale clashes have subsided, violence in parts of the country persists, killing 2,240 people last year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Earlier this month at least 20 people were killed and more than 50 wounded during inter-communal clashes in a United Nations protection camp in the north of the country. Also Read: South Sudan struggles to clear mines after decades of war as people start returning home Implementation of the peace agreement has been sluggish. The elections, originally scheduled for this year, were postponed until December 2024. Other key elements of the deal have not been implemented, sparking concern that the country could see a return to war instead of a transfer of power. "We are going to go for (the) electoral process without meeting the benchmarks that create a conducive environment for the conduct of elections," said Edmund Yakani, executive director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, a local advocacy group. "The return of the country to violence is more evident than the country staying in stability." A permanent constitution still has not been drafted. A census has not been conducted. Security arrangements, considered the backbone of the agreement, are only partially complete. Some 83,000 soldiers from opposition and government forces are meant to unite in a national army, but so far 55,000 have graduated and are yet to be deployed. Also Read: Thousands of exhausted South Sudanese head home, fleeing brutal conflict Others languish in training centers with poor conditions and little food. Soldiers say many are rarely paid. Locals involved with the security arrangements say there's so little trust that the main parties have held back key fighters, sending less seasoned ones or new recruits. In addition, Joshua Craze, a researcher on South Sudan, says, "The peace agreement signed in 2018 has enabled the government to fragment the opposition by encouraging defections and setting commanders against each other, intensifying violent conflict." The opposition accuses the government of lacking political will to hold elections so it can keep plundering the nation's resources, which include oil. "They don't have genuine political will to implement the peace agreement because they look at the agreement from the angle that it is crippling their powers," said Puok Both Baluang, acting press secretary for the first vice president, head of the main opposition and former rebel leader Riek Machar. South Sudan has billions of dollars in reserves but there is little transparency on where the money goes. The country was voted the second most corrupt in the world last year by Transparency International. The international community is exasperated with South Sudan's lack of progress. At a press conference in May, United Nations representative Nicholas Haysom cautioned that the conditions did not currently exist to hold transparent, free and fair elections. But some diplomats are concerned that another extension to the peace deal would send a negative message to South Sudanese citizens, investors and aid donors. The government says it's serious about the peace process and will hold elections on time. During a conference in May on reconciliation and healing, President Salva Kiir vowed that "I will never take South Sudan and its people to war again." The capital, Juba, appears peaceful. Billboards of Kiir and Machar shaking hands above the words "peace, unity, reconciliation and development" line the streets. Children of the political elites are returning with money and opening trendy restaurants, and construction is booming. But outside the capital is a different reality. The fighting that killed Nyanguour's family last year also sent tens of thousands fleeing, part of the highest displacement levels since the peace agreement was signed, according to a report by a U.N. panel of experts. It said government and opposition forces played facilitating roles in the violence. The conflict in Upper Nile cut off access to healthcare, with some severely wounded people having to travel up to four days by canoe to the closest clinic, aid workers said. "The biggest issue was accessibility. It was hard to bring in supplies," said Kudumreng David, a supervisor for the International Medical Corps in Kowach. Food has also become scarce as fighting worsens conditions after years of floods and cuts in food aid. In Kowach, some children rip leaves from trees into a pot for their only meal of the day. Many people outside Juba said they didn't even know elections were set for next year. "We heard there's peace but it hasn't reached here," said Roda Awel, a resident of Kowach. "People are still afraid."

Jatiya Party chairman Ghulam Muhammad Quader on Tuesday said that the new US visa policy for Bangladesh will be helpful in holding the next general election in a free, fair and credible manner. "The United States expects free, fair and neutral elections in Bangladesh. What is said in the visa policy, all goes in favour Bangladesh and its people", Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament told reporters at the circuit house in the town before attending the bi-annual conference of Sherpur district unit of the party. Also Read: Fair election not possible in current system: GM Quader "We can’t expect a free, fair and impartial election under the current government. This needs to be changed. But we need consensus on the kind of change through discussion with all parties. So we (Jatiya Party) support the US visa policy," he added. GM Quader said everyone wants free and fair elections. "We haven't received any proposal regarding the election-time government from anywhere yet. However, we are working for the welfare of the people of the country. How we will participate in the next election will be discussed later and decided," he added. Also Read: People have no confidence in country’s electoral system: GM Quader    Central leaders, including Jatiya Party Co-Chairman ABM Ruhul Amin Howladar, Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Member of Parliament Kazi Firoz Rashid, Presidium Member Mostafa Al Mahmud, were also present. Later, GM Quader and Jatiya Party leaders addressed the bi-annual conference of the district Jatiya Party at Shaheed Minar premises in the Chawkbazar center of the town. Also Read: Assault on on-duty journalists an unpardonable crime: GM Quader  

Elections of five city corporations will be held in three phases by June this year. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal at the EC office in Dhaka’s Agargaon. Election Commission secretary and other relevant officials were present at the meeting. Read more: EC is totally independent to conduct election: PM Hasina Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam said that Gazipur, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna and Barishal city corporation elections will be held by June. The election schedule for these cities will be announced mid-April.

The two men were sitting at a bar on Nov. 21, sipping drinks for relief from the scorching heat of Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, when police officers barged in and arrested them for allegedly torching trucks and an ambulance with Molotov cocktails. One man attempted to flee and ditch his illegal firearm. Inside their pickup truck, officers found jugs of gasoline, knives, a pistol, slingshots and hundreds of stones — as well as 9,999 reais (nearly $1,900) in cash. A federal judge ordered their preventive detention, noting that their apparent motive for the violence was “dissatisfaction with the result of the last presidential election and pursuit of its undemocratic reversal,” according to court documents reviewed by The Associated Press. For more than three weeks, supporters of incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro who refuse to accept his narrow defeat in October’s election have blocked roads and camped outside military buildings in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s soy-producing powerhouse. They also have protested in other states across the nation, while pleading for intervention from the armed forces or marching orders from their commander in chief. Since his election loss, Bolsonaro has only addressed the nation twice, to say that the protests are legitimate and encourage them to continue, as long as they don’t prevent people from coming and going. Bolsonaro has not disavowed the recent emergence of violence, either. He has, however, challenged the election results — which the electoral authority’s president said appears aimed at stoking protests. While most demonstrations are peaceful, tactics deployed by hardcore participants have begun concerning authorities. José Antônio Borges, chief state prosecutor in Mato Grosso, compared their actions to that of guerrilla fighters, militia groups and domestic terrorists. Mato Grosso is one of the nation’s hotbeds for unrest. The chief targets, Borges says, are soy trucks from Grupo Maggi, owned by a tycoon who declared support for President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There are also indications that people and companies from the state may be fueling protests elsewhere. Road blockades and acts of violence have been reported in the states of Rondonia, Para, Parana and Santa Catarina. In the latter, federal highway police said protesters blocking highways have employed “terrorist” methods including homemade bombs, fireworks, nails, stones and barricades made of burnt tires. Read more: Security agencies will act, if vandalism is there in the name of protests, says Home Minister Police also noted that roadblocks over the weekend were different from those carried out immediately after the Oct. 30 runoff election, when truckers blocked more than 1,000 roads and highways across the country, with only isolated incidents. Now, most acts of resistance are taking place at night, carried out by “extremely violent and coordinated hooded men,” acting in different regions of the state at the same time, federal highway police said. “The situation is getting very critical” in Mato Grosso state, chief state prosecutor Borges told the AP. Among other examples, he noted that protesters in Sinop, the state’s second most populous city, this week ordered shops and businesses to close in support of the movement. “Whoever doesn’t shut down suffers reprisals,” he said. Since the vote, Bolsonaro has dropped out of public view and his daily agenda has been largely vacant, prompting speculation as to whether he is stewing or scheming. Government transition duties have been led by his chief of staff, while Vice President Hamilton Mourão has stepped in to preside over official ceremonies. In an interview with newspaper O Globo, Mourão chalked up Bolsonaro’s absence to erysipelas, a skin infection on his legs that he said prevents the president from wearing pants. But even Bolsonaro’s social media accounts have gone silent – aside from generic posts about his administration, apparently from his communications team. And the live social media broadcasts that, with rare exception, he conducted every Thursday night during his administration have ceased. The silence marks an abrupt about-face for the bombastic Brazilian leader whose legions of supporters hang on his every word. Still, demonstrators, who have camped outside military barracks across Brazil for weeks, are certain they have his tacit support. “We understand perfectly well why he doesn’t want to talk: They (the news media) distort his words,” said a 49-year-old woman who identified herself only as Joelma during a protest outside the monumental regional military command center in Rio de Janeiro. She declined to give her full name, claiming the protest had been infiltrated by informants. Joelma and others say they are outraged with Bolsonaro’s loss and claim the election was rigged, echoing the incumbent president’s claims — made without evidence — that the electronic voting system is prone to fraud. Scenes of large barbecues with free food and portable bathrooms at several protests, plus reports of free bus rides bringing demonstrators to the capital, Brasilia, have prompted investigations into the people and companies financing and organizing the gatherings and roadblocks. The Supreme Court has frozen at least 43 bank accounts for suspicion of involvement, news site G1 reported, saying most are from Mato Grosso. Borges cited the involvement of agribusiness players in the protests, many of whom support Bolsonaro’s push for development of the Amazon rainforest and his authorization of previously banned pesticides. By contrast, President-elect da Silva has pledged to rebuild environmental protections. Most recently, protesters have been emboldened by the president’s decision to officially contest the election results. Read more: Brazil election body rejects Bolsonaro's push to void votes On Tuesday, Bolsonaro and his party filed a request for the electoral authority to annul votes cast on nearly 60% of electronic voting machines, citing a software bug in older models. Independent experts have said the bug, while newly discovered, doesn’t affect the results and the electoral authority’s president, Alexandre de Moraes swiftly rejected the “bizarre and illicit” request. De Moraes, who is also a Supreme Court justice, called it “an attack on the Democratic Rule of Law ... with the purpose of encouraging criminal and anti-democratic movements.” On Nov. 21, Prosecutor-general Augusto Aras summoned federal prosecutors from states where roadblocks and violence have become more intense for a crisis meeting. Aras, who is widely seen as a Bolsonaro stalwart, said he received intelligence reports from local prosecutors and instructed Mato Grosso’s governor to request federal backup to clear its blocked highways. Ultimately that wasn’t necessary, as local law enforcement managed to break up demonstrations and, by Monday night, roads in Mato Grosso and elsewhere were all liberated, according to the federal highway police. It was unclear how long this would last, however, amid Bolsonaro’s continued silence, said Guilherme Casarões, a political science professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation university. “With his silence, he keeps people in the streets,” Casarões said. “This is the great advantage he has today: a very mobilized, and very radical base.”

Free and fair elections in Bangladesh “must include a level playing field” for all participants, including political parties, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Monday on conclusion of US Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter’s two-day visit here. The US official and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas met with representatives of Bangladesh's three major political parties – Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jatiya Party. Before leaving Dhaka, Afreen Akhter had a breakfast meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at a city hotel on Monday. “Absolutely, there is trust and respect for each other,” she said referring to her meeting with political leaders. Read more: Working closely with civil society for fair elections: Visiting US official She highlighted the cooperation between Bangladesh and the US in a whole range of areas including health, climate and economic cooperation. Talking to reporters, Foreign Secretary Masud said they talked about a number of issues and it was “not an election-centric” discussion. "Our USAID mission is working very closely with the civil society actors across Bangladesh to support their efforts to provide free and fair elections in Bangladesh,” Akhter told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday. Read more: Govt to support Election Commission in holding fair election: Law Minister During her meeting with Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit) Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam, the US official discussed maritime security and how they can cooperate with Bangladesh and other forms of maritime cooperation in the region during the meeting. The Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives, as well the Office of Security and Transnational Affairs most recently served as a Senior Adviser to SCA Assistant Secretary Don Lu. Previously, Akhter was the National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser to U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said that foreign diplomats are free to give advice on elections as long as they don’t interfere in the country’s internal affairs and cross diplomatic etiquettes. The minister said this while exchanging views with journalists after receiving the annual report of Bangladesh Press Council at the ministry’s meeting room on Monday. “The foreign diplomats can talk to any political party of the country about participatory elections. They can even talk to any particular political party in private on avoiding conflicts during the time of elections. The government has no problem with that as we also want transparent and participatory elections,” Hasan said. About Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) recent activities, the minister said it’s the BNP men who are attacking their own fellows to create an anarchic situation. “In 2018, BNP secured five seats in the parliament as an outcome of their dialogue (with the government). This time, they’ll be rejected by the people if they don’t shun the path of violence,” said Hasan. Replying to a question, the minister added that Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established the Press Council to remove misunderstanding between the public and the media. Read: Transit a big achievement of PM’s India visit: Info Minister “Currently, the only role that the Press Council plays is of reprimanding. The government is trying to formulate new laws to increase the power of this body,” Hasan added. Hasan, also the Joint General Secretary of the ruling Awami League, reaffirmed his view media in Bangladesh enjoys more freedom than in many developed countries of the world. “The government is creating a database of the journalists. The Press Council has prepared a draft policy in this regard, which will be approved soon,” said Hasan.   During the meeting, Press Council Chairman Nizamul Haque presented their report for 2022. Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, editor of The Daily Observer and Saiful Alam, dditor of the daily Jugantor, among others, were present at the meeting. 

Minister for Education Dr Dipu Moni said on Wednesday that they want the participation of all political parties in the upcoming zilla parishad and national elections. She also said there is no scope for bringing in any political party if they have the intention to make the elections questionable. Minister Moni, also joint general secretary of the ruling Awami League (AL), said this while responding to queries from journalists at a function at Chandpur Circuit House in the evening. Asked about the use of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the elections, she said the use of the EVMs depends on the election commission (EC), and the AL will assist them in holding a fair election. “I don’t know whether all parties will reach a point regarding the use of the EVM, however, we will have to march forward for the sake of development with technology unless all are agreed,” Dipu said. Read: AL wants competitive elections: Obaidul Quader The minister reiterated that the national elections will be held on time and won’t wait for anyone. Some political parties oppose opposition without reasonable grounds. Expressing her optimism of participation of all competent parties in the upcoming election, she said it is their political right if they don’t compete in the election despite having all arrangements. Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Hasan, Superintendent of Police Milon Mahmud and the party’s leaders and activists were present there.