Environment congenial for February, 2026 polls: Salehuddin

 “You will see that the Election Commission has done its preparatory work very well. The voter list has been prepared and updated on time, and the schedule has been announced. Now the focus is on proper implementation,” he said.

The adviser was talking to reporters after meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs and the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat.

He said implementation of the election schedule will be carried out based on ground-level assessments with additional measures taken in sensitive areas if required.

“In more sensitive areas, arrangements will be strengthened. In less sensitive areas, the Commission already knows what preparations are needed and is taking them accordingly,” he said.

“Political parties have said they will take part in the election. No one has raised objections to the schedule. In fact, everyone has unanimously said the schedule is appropriate. That itself is proof that there is no controversy over the timing,” he added.

On the law and order situation, he said the overall condition remains satisfactory and will be further strengthened as the election approaches.

Responding to questions on government borrowing, Dr Salehuddin said the current administration has taken loans of more than Tk 50,000 crore, mainly to continue ongoing development projects inherited from previous governments.

He said many of these projects are already 50 to 60 percent complete and abandoning them would lead to major losses.

“If we were to close these projects midway, it would amount to what economists call a ‘deadweight loss’, meaning the money already spent would be completely wasted. Considering this, we decided to implement several projects,” he said.

The current government has taken very few new projects, he added.

He also said the government has repaid several billion dollars in external debt.

On election-related spending, Dr Salehuddin said the Election Commission has not yet formally submitted a detailed fund requirement after announcing the schedule.

“Once their requisition comes to us, we will be able to take a decision and process it quickly,” he said.

He stressed that election logistics fall under the Election Commission’s authority and that the government will not impose restrictions on its financial needs.

“The Election Commission knows what it needs — logistics, manpower and other support for polling day and related activities. When they place their demand, we will verify it and ensure timely allocation,” he said.

Referring to recent examples, he said the government is ready to respond promptly to EC requirements, reports UNB.