Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed late on Thursday night resigned from his post of Chief Advisor (CA) of his country's caretaker government (CG) before declaring a state of emergency.
Addressing the nation on television, Iajuddin Ahmed said a new caretaker government would be formed within a day or two.
"The newly constituted interim government will hold a free, fair, neutral and acceptable election to parliament within the shortest possible time in consultation with all parties concerned," said the president, who had taken over charge of the CA office following a deadlock between rival political parties.
Meanwhile, after Iajuddin's addressing, a President House spokesman announced that the Jan.22 election would be delayed.
The president said he took the post of CA in line with the constitution, but that both major political camps were debating his assumption of the post.
"Since the political camps are feuding centering on my office of chief advisor, I am resigning from the post," he said.
Iajuddin said he took the office of CA about two and a half months ago, but during the period whatever decisions he took, one camp favored and the other opposed.
Despite sincere efforts by the council of advisors during the last two and a half months chaos and bloody conflicts have been nigh on constant. Many people died due to "intolerable and aggressive programs of the political parties that pushed the national economy to a disastrous end," he said.
To justify his final steps, including declaring the state of emergency, the President said he anticipated wider violence, which would be difficult to control.
"The whole nation is plunged into an abyss of concern, instability and uncertainty. Discipline is seriously affected."
In the address, the president called it imperative to hold the election in a free and fair atmosphere as well as preparing a flawless voter list, admitting that various wrongs afflicted the electoral roll in updating the voter list.
Bangladesh introduced its caretaker government in 1996, stipulating that a non-party caretaker government must supervise the national election within three months after taking office.
Bangladeshi President Iajuddin Ahmed took over the post of Chief Advisor of the caretaker government on Oct.29, 2006 as his five-year tenure heading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led alliance government ran out on Oct.27, 2006.
But Bangladesh's former opposition Awami League (AL) protested Iajuddin's nomination, labeling him a non-partisan man as he was chosen as president by the four party alliance government.
The AL-led grand alliance is boycotting the election set on Jan.22, saying the election will not be conducted in a clean and credible environment.
The grand alliance enforced a three-day countrywide blockade on Jan.7-9 to boycott the election and announced a series of new agitation programs from Jan.14.
(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2007)
