March 01, 2007	Thursday	Safar 11, 1428

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Awami League on Wednesday formally requested the country’s Election Commission to set a date, preferably by June, to hold the ninth parliamentary polls.

The League’s demand came a day after Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of the interim government, said on Tuesday that it was not possible to set a timeframe for the elections as the ongoing reforms were prerequisite for holding the polls in a free, fair and credible manner.

However, the League’s technical committee on election affairs placed the demand during a meeting with the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, at the latter’s office.

“We do not want to be kept in suspense. We requested the CEC to set a specific deadline for holding the polls, which we think should be held by June,” Abul Mal Abdul Muhit, a member of the party’s advisory council, told the media after the meeting.

Later, in the afternoon, League’s president Sheikh Hasina also demanded a specific time line for holding elections.