DHAKA: Bangladesh's interim leader has refused to give a timeframe for elections following the ouster of his autocratic predecessor, saying in an interview published on Tuesday that reforms are needed before polls. The 84-year-old microfinance pioneer is helming a temporary administration, to tackle what he has called the "extremely tough" challenge of restoring democratic institutions.
"None of us are aiming at staying for a prolonged time," Yunus said of his caretaker government, in an interview published by the Prothom Alo newspaper. "Reforms are pivotal," he added. "If you say, hold the election, we are ready to hold the election. But it would be wrong to hold the election first." Yunus said he had inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration that needed a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to autocracy. "Reforms mean we will not allow a repetition of what happened in the past," he added. — AFP
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