Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi yesterday said the next general election will be held fairly and timely without creating any impediment to any political party, reports UNB. "There's no question about election. [The] election will be held in time... on time. [The] election will be held according to the rules - free and fair. There'll be no impediment to any political party from participating in the election," he said.

The Foreign Affairs Adviser was addressing a discussion as the chief guest on Bangladesh-Australia trade and investment opportunities at a city hotel. The Australia Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABCCI) hosted the welcome reception to High Commissioner of Australia to Bangladesh Julia Niblett and the discussion on 'Bilateral Business & Trade Opportunities Between Australia & Bangladesh'.

Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Kazi M Aminul Islam and President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) spoke as special guests at the programme held with ABCCI President Obaidur Rahman in the chair.

ABCCI Vice President M Khan made a presentation on Bangladesh-Australia trade and investment opportunities.

Dr Rizvi hoped that there will a political revival and rejuvenation of all political parties and political institutions -- everybody will come forward to keep up the democratic continuity.

He, however, said the outcome of election results is always unpredictable. "Election results may be unpredictable. What not unpredictable is our economic policies that will remain predictable and there'll be a continuity and there'll be no change."

Dr Rizvi invited the Australian investors to come and invest in Bangladesh taking the advantage of 'stable political system' availability of workers and fast growing market inside Bangladesh and re-export to other countries. "So, the investors who will come here can come and there won't be any change."

He said Bangladesh has a stable society with political stability and growing maturity of democratic institutions. "We'll have to continue the stable society... there'll be democratic continuity.... There's no doubt about it."