(Adds Amnesty International chief's comments)

By Anis Ahmed

DHAKA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's army-backed interim government ended its first year in office under pressure to complete an anti-corruption drive and curb rising food prices, but vowing to keep a promise to hold elections by year-end.

Analysts say the challenges are difficult but not insurmountable for the administration, which took power on Jan. 11, 2007, following protracted political violence.

"So far they are doing a good job, though they need to focus more on their principal job (the election)," said Professor Ataur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Political Science Association.

The toughest task, analysts say, will be to stick to promises to hold a free and fair election before end of 2008 -- which would mark a break from past polls that have been marred by vote-rigging allegations and rejected by losing parties.

This time, the government is preparing a fresh list of voters, with photographic identity cards, and will probably use transparent ballot boxes to guard against fraud.

"We are firmly on course to hold the vote before the end of the year, and maybe earlier if preparations are complete," said Chief Election Commissioner A.T.M. Shamsul Huda on Wednesday.

The commission expected to have the new electoral roll ready by June and set the election schedule sooner than expected, he added.

Head of the interim government Fakhruddin Ahmed also told a police function on Wednesday there was "no reason to doubt the election will not be on time".

Political parties said they would like to believe that Fakhruddin, a former chief of the central bank, would honour his words and give power back to elected representatives.

ANTI-GRAFT DRIVE

Meanwhile, the government must complete court proceedings against many senior politicians brought under an anti-corruption purge designed to clean up politics ahead of the election.

Among those detained are former Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia, several of their family members and former ministers and a number of top businessmen and media tycoons.

Only a few of them have so far been sentenced.

If convicted Hasina and her rival Khaleda -- who alternated as prime minister for 15 years until October 2006 -- will be barred from entering the election.

Hasina's Awami League and Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party have often voiced fears the jailed leaders might not get justice in trials before special anti-corruption courts.

Irene Khan, Secretary General of the London-based Amnesty International, urged the Bangladesh government to ease a state of emergency to restore human rights and rule of law ahead of the elections.

"We call on the caretaker government to scrupulously adhere to due process and the rule of law, respect fair trial standards, end arbitrary detention, reinstate the provisions for bail," she told reporters on Thursday. Fakhruddin's administration has scored some successes, included separating of the judiciary from the executive, creating an independent Anti-Corruption Commission and reforming the Public Service Commission.

It has also reorganised the Election Commission and is now putting the final touches on plans to free it from control of the prime minister's office.

If these four institutions -- heavily politicised under successive governments -- become fully independent democracy stands a far better chance of thriving, said professor Ataur.

"It (the government) scored a big success in detaining powerful but corrupt political leaders and already convicting some of them," added analyst and columnist Abul Momen.

"But the question remains if the convictions would be overturned when a political government takes charge."

Fakhruddin's government has also vowed to get to grips with spiralling food and other commodity prices, which have doubled since Fakhruddin took office and lately triggered large protests.

Food prices are highly sensitive in this impoverished south Asian country of more than 140 million people. (Additional reporting by Nizam Ahmed and Masud Karim; Editing by Alex Richardson)

AlertNet news is provided by