BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that if all political parties reach a consensus, necessary reforms can be completed within a month, making it possible to hold the national election before December.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists on Wednesday after a courtesy meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nicole Chulick.
The meeting took place at the residence of the US Deputy Head of Mission in Gulshan. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid were also present.
Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said: “We have mentioned holding the election by December. We’ve also said it can happen even before that. Reforms have been discussed. The chief adviser himself has said that reforms will be made only on matters where there is consensus among all parties. It’s simple; we’ve submitted our reform proposals. We’ve only included matters that have already gained consensus. If agreement is reached, it can be done within a month.”
When asked about the issues discussed with the US representative, he said: “The discussions touched on the economy and tariffs. They wanted to know our views. We said—unless a minimum level of tolerance is ensured, our country will suffer.”
He further said: “The topic of elections was also discussed. We said—the absence of a democratic order in the country is harming it. If there were a democratic government, decisions would be easier to make.”
On the issue of reforms, he said: “Bangladesh’s economic and political reforms were all carried out during BNP’s time. In the coming days, we plan to go for even broader reforms.”
