The other day the CEC admitted that for various reasons the EC is unable to keep to its schedule of carrying out various activities prior to holding the national elections at the end of this year. Some of the problems that the EC faces are: the Electoral Rolls Rules have not yet been finalized and approved by the Government; the identification and demarcation of constituencies have not even started; no more than 60 % of the voters' registration has been completed and no more than 10% of the registered voters have received their voter ID cards, although the Army, given the responsibility for registration and issue of voter ID cards, is insisting that it would complete the task by October 2008; the dialogue with political parties have not been completed because the EC had invited a faction of BNP to the dialogue, leaving the mainstream out of it, forcing them to go to the courts; the EC has involved itself in a running battle with the political parties regarding the holding of local government polls before the national elections and finally there is the problem of timing the withdrawal of the Emergency.

All of these acts of omission and commission by the EC have raised apprehensions that the EC is fast losing control of its activities and of the situation. One thus sees a lack of confidence developing among the general public as well as the political parties regarding the EC's commitment and abilities of holding an acceptable national election within the announced timeframe. Already the Khondoker Delwar Hossain led mainstream BNP has expressed its doubts in the following words: "The EC itself has created a chink in the people's confidence through its words and deeds. It could not complete its scheduled dialogue with political parties as it created a problem regarding the BNP issue on its own". The comments of AL leaders, though couched in more diplomatic language, point to an increasing level of frustration with the activities of the EC; in fact the AL has as good as accused the EC of attempting to delay the elections.

The EC's roadmap is not merely off-schedule; it is in danger of going to tatters. Political parties, the civil society and even foreigners with an interest in Bangladesh are getting increasingly concerned about the prospects of elections and about when and how they would be held. While the Emergency Government is procrastinating in various ways, demands for elections are becoming increasingly strident from the political parties, the civil society and the media who now once again see an elected political government as the only one capable of tackling the unprecedented economic and social woes of Bangladesh, as well as of mobilizing public opinions and taking the people along with them. Increasingly, diverse opinions of diverse interest groups are coalescing into one single demand - lift the emergency and hold elections as soon as the voter listing is complete. Perhaps the Emergency would like to disregard this change in public opinion and tendency but it can do so only at its own peril as many other past governments have found out to their great dismay and cost.

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