Salahuddin Ahmed: One thing is clear, there will be no national unity here

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has dismissed a statement made by National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam, which suggested that elections for both the Constituent Assembly and Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) could be held simultaneously.

Speaking at an Iftar Mahfil organised by Khelafat Majlis at a hotel in Purana Paltan on Saturday, Salahuddin Ahmed asserted, “Our position is clear—there will be no national unity on the issue of constituent assembly and parliament elections. As a member of a major political party, I can state this clearly. The general elections are the most urgent and remain our priority.”

In an interview published by international news agency Reuters on Thursday, NCP convener Nahid Islam proposed that elections for the Constituent Assembly and the National Parliament could be held simultaneously. He argued that a new constitution, formulated through the Constituent Assembly, would facilitate a transition to a truly democratic process.

Referring to this interview, Salahuddin Ahmed responded critically, saying, “Yesterday, I saw that our new friends in politics have introduced a new proposal. But politics has its own dictionary—its grammar, its framework. The idea that Constituent Assembly and National Assembly elections can be held at the same time, subject to national consensus, is not a recognised concept within that framework.”

Expanding on his argument, Salahuddin Ahmed clarified, “A Constituent Assembly is solely a forum for drafting a state’s constitution. A National Assembly, on the other hand, has the authority to amend the constitution in its entirety. Some are now talking about a comprehensive amendment, essentially calling it a new constitution. If they want to call it that, we have no objection. But we must not create a decoy by using words incoherently—words that do not exist in the political dictionary.”

Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Naib-e-Ameer, Mujibur Rahman, also attended the Iftar Mahfil. In his speech, he criticized certain political factions, saying, “After the victory in the anti-fascist movement, achieved at the cost of many sacrifices, it is unfortunate that some people are now showing favour towards the fascist government in their statements.”

Mujibur Rahman urged all Islamic parties to unite in pursuit of an Islamic state. He called on those who support Islamic governance to work together to implement the teachings of the Quran.

“Let us unite. Let us move forward towards the goal of establishing an Islamic state. We must all work together to implement the provisions of the Quran,” Mujibur Rahman said.

The event saw the participation of leaders from different political parties, including Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Haque, AB Party chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju, Jatiya Party (Kazi Jafar) secretary general Ahsan Habib Linkon, State Reform Movement chief coordinator Hasnat Abdul Qayyum, Islami Andolan presidium member Syed Mosaddek Billah, Gono Odhikar Parishad general secretary Rashed Khan, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) secretary general Shahiduddin Mahmud, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party vice president Rashed Pradhan, Bangladesh NAP secretary general Golam Mortuza, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis secretary general Jalaluddin Ahmed, and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan Ameer Abu Jafar Qashemi.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secretary general Redwan Ahmed, Bangladesh Labour Party chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran, National Citizen Party (NCP) senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adeeb, Islami Andolan presidium member Ashraf Ali Akon, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam vice president Abdur Rab Yusufi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam secretary general Manjurul Islam Afendi, and Bangladesh Development Party (BDP) chairman AKM Anwarul Islam also attended the event.

Several distinguished guests were present at the Mahfil, including Lt. General (Retd.) Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy, Journalists’ Welfare Trust Managing Director M Abdullah, and Supreme Court Bar Association acting general secretary Mahfuzur Rahman.

The Iftar gathering was hosted by Khilafat Majlis secretary general Ahmed Abdul Quader, who welcomed the invited guests. Before the iftar, Party Ameer Abdul Basit Azad led the prayers.