BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy has said the 31-point reform proposal submitted by the party may take 31 years to be implemented, "as it takes time for a tree to bear fruit."
The BNP leader was addressing a discussion titled "The Role of the BNP on International Disaster Reduction Day," organized by the Jatiotabadi Prochar Dal at the Jahanara Hussain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club on Sunday.
Addressing the interim government, Gayeshwar said: "For the past 16 years, the demand has been for free and fair elections—nothing else. This is the reason for the bloodshed. The people's desire for voting rights should be your only agenda. There is no need for any other agenda. Just hold a fair election. You still have not even managed to change the Election Commission.
"Discussions with political parties are merely time-wasting, nothing more. The sooner the election is held, the more public participation there will be. If an election were held right now, a record-breaking 90% of the population would turn out to vote."
He continued: "This country has a rich history of student movements. Students play a crucial role in every significant change. That is why people's expectations are higher for them.
"I often say that if students participated in our movements, the Awami League government would not have lasted more than five to seven days. However, we failed to inspire confidence or create an environment that allowed student participation. Yet, in every student movement, the BNP stood by them as a political party."
The veteran politician said: "If there are any irregularities, they (students) should hold press briefings, alert the government, and warn them. We were also part of such traditions during our student life. But we left those movements and returned to our libraries. Please do not create further divisions. If another form of inequality is created under the guise of fighting against inequality, who will pay the price for that?"
He added that it is not right to view politicians as foolish, saying: "You are knowledgeable individuals, respected members of society. That is why you have been entrusted with responsibilities. Therefore, we respect you, and you deserve that respect. However, it is not right to underestimate politicians or view them as self-serving.
"You possess knowledge, and you study science, but it is the politicians, workers, and rickshaw pullers who implement those ideas. Reality and thought are not the same. In thought, you can create a utopia, but to implement it, you face challenges at every step."
Addressing the interim government, he said: "If you fail, the nation fails. Your failure means our 16 years of struggle will be in vain. Therefore, we want to see the government succeed. We are providing you with our utmost support. Make it clear to the people when you will hold elections and how long it will take.
"Initially, military personnel mentioned 18 months, but then the government said that was not the government's position. So what is the government's position? Is it 36 months or 20 months? You need to provide clarity."
Gayeshwar concluded by saying: "We hope that the people's hunger—hunger for food, thoughts, and rights—will be addressed through an election. If that does not happen in a timely manner, the people will look elsewhere."
