Citing the interim government not announcing a clear roadmap for the upcoming national parliamentary elections, concern over the timing of the elections has arisen within the BNP.
The BNP has alleged that the lack of clear directives from the government regarding the election date has created doubt among the public about the election.
In this situation, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will lead a delegation to meet with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on April 16 to demand a swift announcement of the election roadmap.
Senior BNP leaders have said that the meeting with the Chief Adviser will focus on discussions surrounding the upcoming parliamentary election and a specific roadmap will be requested.
Leaders of the BNP have said that while the interim government has indicated the election may be held sometime between December and June, this does not amount to a definite election date. BNP, however, wants the election be held by December.
On Monday night, the BNP’s Standing Committee held a meeting at the party Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, where issues related to the electoral roadmap and election reforms were discussed.
The party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman joined the meeting virtually and presided over it.
In the meeting, the BNP decided that they would meet with the Chief Adviser to demand a specific roadmap for the election.
Regarding the matter, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said: “There is confusion among various quarters regarding the election. To clear this up, BNP will request a roadmap from the Chief Adviser. We believe all preparations for the election can be completed before June.”
When asked about the issue, the BNP Chairperson’s adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said: “We are giving the government sufficient time to implement reforms. Discussions with the government regarding reforms are ongoing. We intend to give them a bit more time. During this period, they can complete the reforms and arrange the election.”
When asked whether BNP would launch a movement if the election roadmap is not announced promptly, he said: “We don’t want to launch a movement at every turn. We have supported this government and continue to do so. We want the government to understand the people’s sentiments and organize the election promptly.”
Policymakers of the party claim that the government will evaluate the country’s real situation, political conditions, and global demands to arrange the national election by December.
According to them, holding the election swiftly will create a potential path out of the ongoing crisis, which in turn will help ensure national stability and economic development.
Therefore, they emphasize that formulating a specific and timely roadmap is extremely important.