Commonwealth urges Bangladesh to restart democracy

Mar 21, 2007, 14:39 GMT

Dhaka- Visiting Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon Wednesday said the caretaker government in Bangladesh should restart the democratic process by holding a transparent general election.

The interim administration and the election commission were responsible for staging the parliamentary polls after rectifying the voter rolls, McKinnon said as he ended a three-day official visit to Bangladesh.

'It is not advisable to prolong the state of emergency which has curbed constitutional rights of people,' McKinnon told a news conference before leaving Bangladesh.

However, during a meeting with the chief of the caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed, McKinnon promised all kinds of material help to hold a fair election.

The caretaker government was formed three months ago to organize the general election stalled in January at the height of a standoff between two former premiers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

Parliamentary democracy was restored in Bangladesh in 1991 after nearly two decades of military rule.

The commonwealth is an organization of former British colonies.