Dhaka, Nov. 22 -- The interim government has formally written to the Election Commission (EC) to hold the parliamentary polls and a referendum on the same day.

EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the development on Saturday.

The decision follows political disagreements over the legal basis of the July Charter and the referendum itself, after Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus announced in a national address on Nov 13 that both the general election and the referendum would be held on the same day.

A week after the announcement, the Cabinet Division sent a letter to the EC asking it to prepare for the referendum on election day.

"On Thursday, we received a letter from a Cabinet Division. The government has informed us that conducting the refe...