Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has expressed her willingness to cooperate with the country's poll body in its plans to carry out electoral reforms while seeking parliamentary polls at the earliest.
"She called upon to the commission to hold the parliamentary elections as soon as possible," Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader and former minister Osman Faruque said after visiting Zia at her residence inside Dhaka Cantonment on Sunday.
Faruque said Zia also wanted to cooperate with the Election Commission in its plan to bring about electoral reforms for ensuring free and fair polls as 'electoral reforms are also necessary in the interest of the party.'
These were Zia's first comments on politics since the interim administration in emergency-ruled Bangladesh last week denied widely-speculated government plans to exile her and restrict her movement.
Coming out of her residence for the first time in 25 days on Sunday, Zia told media persons that she would visit Saudi Arabia to perform 'Umrah Haj.'
However, her brother Eskandar Mirza said she was yet to get a visa despite pursuance of the government.
"The government is now saying she will have to obtain the visa herself," Mirza told the Prothom Alo newspaper.
Awami League leader and ex-premier Sheikh Hasina had two days ago sought general election as early as possible to establish an elected government to fight poverty and corruption.
"Without an elected government, there is no transparency and accountability. And without transparency and accountability, poverty and corruption, the twin enemy of the country, cannot be eradicated," she had said.
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