Nagorik Coalition, a platform advocating for democratic reforms in the state structure, has termed the upcoming meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman a “hopeful development” on Wednesday.
In a press release, the platform said that a crisis is deepening due to the firm stance of the BNP and several other political parties against the proposed roadmap for April elections and their demand for polls to be held in December.
“This political deadlock is expected to escalate further after the Eid holidays,” it warned.
It added that there are clear signs of conspiracies, both domestic and international, being orchestrated to destabilize Bangladesh.
Against this backdrop, the Nagorik Coalition described Friday's meeting in London between Yunus and Tarique as “a very hopeful development amid the current political impasse.”
The platform stated that it hopes its proposed "7/2" constitutional reform agenda will feature prominently in upcoming discussions.
The reforms aim to prevent constitutional authoritarianism, ensure neutrality in appointments, and establish institutional checks and balances.
Key elements of the proposal include adopting the July Charter as a foundation for political consensus, allocating seats in the upper house through proportional representation, ensuring impartiality in constitutional appointments, reinstating the caretaker government system, and electing women’s reserved seats through direct voting.
The platform further asserted that neither December nor April is a practical timeframe for holding the next national election.
“Reaching consensus, enacting legal reforms, and preparing for elections by December would be highly challenging,” it said. “Meanwhile, holding elections in April would discourage elderly and ill voters due to extreme heat.”
It also noted that nationwide election-related activities and campaigning during the scorching Ramadan period would be difficult for both political parties and government officials.
Additionally, the proposed timeline would clash with the country’s key public examinations—SSC and HSC—posing serious obstacles to a fair electoral process.
Despite these constraints, the government has yet to explain why it proposed April as the election timeline, the coalition said.
Even if elections are scheduled for the first half of April, there has been no announcement regarding when or how key reforms and election-related steps will be implemented, it added.
The coalition warned that any delay in executing these phases could ultimately push back the proposed April election as well.
