Next parliamentary polls will be held under caretaker government: Law Minister

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman has said that the upcoming 14th National Parliamentary Election will be held under a caretaker government.

He made the remarks on Thursday (July 9) while responding to reporters at his office at the Secretariat following the Appellate Division's verdict on the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

However, the minister said it would only be possible to determine the exact process for forming the election-time caretaker government and who would serve in it after reviewing the full text of the verdict.

Earlier on Thursday, a full regular bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, upheld the High Court's ruling on the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. Following the verdict, lawyers said that the provisions for a caretaker government and referendums had been reinstated.

After the ruling, journalists asked whether the next parliamentary election would indeed be held under a caretaker government. In response, the law minister replied, "Inshallah, Inshallah. This is our political commitment."

He said the caretaker government system was the result of the BNP's political movement. Before the 1991 general election, a movement led by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia resulted in the formation of an interim government. The caretaker government concept was later introduced based on that experience.

The minister also said that in 1996, the BNP introduced the 13th Amendment Bill in Parliament, establishing the institutional framework for a non-party, neutral caretaker government.

He added that for the past 16 to 17 years, the BNP had continued its movement demanding the restoration of the caretaker government system. Under Khaleda Zia's leadership, the party campaigned with slogans such as "Save the Country, Save the People" and "My Vote, I Will Cast It for Whomever I Choose."

According to the law minister, there was no viable alternative to a caretaker government for ensuring the people's voting rights, and for that reason, the government remains politically committed to restoring the system.