No intention of vying in national polls: Touhid

Staff Reporter:

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday dismissed any possibility of taking part in the upcoming national election slated for February next year.

“I have no reason to contest the election,” he said, noting that, to their knowledge, only Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud has shown interest in joining the race.

Hossain added that none of the other members of the Council of Advisers had expressed any desire to participate. “I am not aware of anyone else considering it. As for me, I have no interest,” he stated.

He made these comments while responding to a query at a ‘DCAB Talk’ held at the Jatiya Press Club.

The event, organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB), was titled ‘Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy: Charting a Relevant Role in a Changing World’. DCAB President AKM Moinuddin and General Secretary Md Arifuzzaman Manun also addressed the discussion.

On Thursday, Adviser Asif Mahmud said he would consult senior government officials before making a formal decision on resigning to run in the forthcoming election.

Although he has stated his intention to run, he has yet to reveal which constituency he plans to contest from.