Leader pledges return to democracy
NZPA-Reuter Dhaka The Bangladeshi President, General Hossain Muhammad Ershad, said on Wednesday that he would restore free political activity from March 26 as a step towards returning Bangladesh to democracy. Genera! Ershad, facing a determined anti-Govern-ment campaign by opposition politicians, also said that elections for the Presidency and Parliament would be held together on May 27 because that was what the country wanted. “I passionately believe that free political activity is an essential prerequisite for democracy. This ought to be the basis of our future Presidential and, Parliamentary elections,” General Ershad said in a radio broadcast.
Open-air political meetings, banned since November, would be allowed from March 26 to coincide with the country’s thirteenth anniversary of independence from Pakistan. He urged
politicians to demonstrate responsibility. The broadcast was made on the eve of a planned national strike called by the main opposition parties as part of their campaign to stop controversial local polling planned for March 24. General Ershad said that those elections would go ahead because they were important for the country's future.
“These elections will . . . enable the elected leaders of the areas to become selfdependent and to initiate development plans according to their needs,” he said.
Two alliances of 22 political groups said that tne local elections would be invalid because they were being held by an illegal military government.
General Ershad said in the broadcast that he had brought the country stability, better economic management, and bright hope for the future.
Bangladesh expected to earn nearly 8770 M from exports this year, up SIM on last year. He said that foreign exchange reserves in January stood at a record JSO2M, -compared with SIB4M two years ago. Food production would reach 16.1 million tonnes in 1984 and measures were being taken to offset any future shortfall, he said.
“I have fulfilled in every word whatever I promised to the nation.”
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Press, 2 March 1984, Page 6
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317Leader pledges return to democracy Press, 2 March 1984, Page 6
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