BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said on Monday that if speaking about elections is considered a crime, the party will continue to commit it for as long as necessary.
He made the statement at a discussion titled “Trial for genocide, dialogue, reform, and the upcoming election” at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
“You want to lull us to sleep by singing the song of reform, while calling for elections becomes our crime?” Gayeshwar said.
He added: “For 17 years, we have been committing this so-called crime by demanding a fair election. The BNP will keep committing this crime until elections are held.”
He alleged that Sheikh Hasina, during her tenure as prime minister, created new issues from time to time to stay in power: “Over the past 16 years, she created at least 200 to 250 issues."
Referring to recent developments at the Myanmar border, he said: “Suddenly, the Arakan issue has come up at the frontier. Yet they say it is not final. But there are discussions and intentions behind it.”
Gayeshwar pointed out that had Hasina resigned on August 5, elections would have had to be held within 90 days, as per constitutional rules.
He said: “So why is the Election Commission now saying it needs a year and a half to two years to prepare? Is it acceptable to wait two years for elections every time there is a change in government?”
Describing elections as the most vital reform, he said: “Reform should follow the election. The election itself is the biggest reform. The system has been made a mockery of through four consecutive elections.”
He added: “Therefore, our demand is for a free, fair, and impartial election. A democratic framework must first be established to enable further reform.”
He acknowledged the need for reform but stressed the importance of practicality: “Reform is essential, but it must be grounded in reality. We must not aim for reforms that are ultimately unachievable.”
On political vendettas, he said: “The BNP has never engaged in a politics of vengeance. This has made it easy for many to think that criticizing the BNP is the safest option. Journalists used to say they could not write against the ruling party due to a lack of press freedom, so they targeted the BNP instead.”
He added: “But press freedom does not mean freedom for journalists alone; it mostly depends on the freedom of media owners and publishers.”
He also said: “Some media owners have reached understandings with the government and avoid publishing anything against it. While many outlets are financially strong, they still fail to pay journalists properly.”
On the judicial system, Gayeshwar said: “The court has become our second home—we must appear there frequently.”
He added: “Even the chief adviser was once inundated with cases. We protested that. He withdrew all cases against himself before taking office. Why then do I, Gayeshwar, still have to appear in court?”
