Polls to be held in December, Bangla Prez tells Mukherjee

Colombo, Aug 2 (PTI) Bangladesh government is understood to have conveyed to India that it would hold the much-awaitedgeneral elections in the third week of December.

In his talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Bangladesh Foreign Advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury is understood to have shared details about electionstentatively scheduled between December 21 and 24.

The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest on the sidelines of the Thirtieth Meetingof the SAARC Council of Ministers here Thursday evening.

The Bangladesh Election Commission has already issued biometric identity cards to 8.05 crore of its voters ahead ofthe elections.

The state of emergency was imposed after one of Bangladesh's main parties, the Awami League, accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party -- which ran the last government -- of rigging elections and the spat degenerated into strikesand violent protests.

The two sides underscored regular meetings of the various mechanisms set up to address bilateral issues, including theone on the sharing of common rivers' waters.

Chowdhury raised the possibility of a common SAARC approach to protecting the rights and welfare of South Asianworkers abroad.

Both sides agreed on the need to energise SAARC to address current issues such as food security, energy, trade,and climate change.

Mukherjee also met Nepal Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Maldives Foreign Minister. PTI SKU HMK