Dhaka, Nov. 13 -- Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said that the national election and the referendum will be held simultaneously in the first half of February next year.

"The referendum will take place in the first half of February simultaneously with the general election. This will not in any way hinder the goals of reform; rather, it will make the election more festive and cost-effective," he said in an address to the nation in the afternoon.

"Appropriate law will be formulated in due time to facilitate the holding of the referendum. We are taking all-out preparations to hold the election in a festive atmosphere," the Chief Adviser added.

To implement the July Charter, the government has adopted several key provisi...