BNP, other parties seek specific roadmap

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other political parties have been considering the statement of the chief adviser regarding the probable time of next elections as a hint.

According to them, there is no clear roadmap in what the chief adviser said during his address to the nation marking the Victory Day on 16 December.

They sought a clear roadmap regarding the necessary reforms in various sectors and the date for the election.

One of the largest political parties of the country, the BNP, welcomed the statement of the chief adviser. They, however, also said there was nothing specific in the speech regarding how long it would take to carry out the reforms or when the election will actually be held.

Speaking about this, BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo the chief adviser only hinted about a probable time of the election. But there is no clear roadmap in that speech.

“It is not clear from the speech of the chief adviser as to which sectors will come under the reform initiatives and the time it would take. We hope he will announce a roadmap specifying the time for reforms and time of election,” he insisted.

Another standing committee member of BNP, Mirza Abbas, also welcomed the speech of the chief adviser. But he too sought a roadmap with specific dates.

The chief adviser said while addressing the nation on Monday morning, “Broadly speaking, the election date can be set between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026.”

The parties and alliance members that were waging simultaneous movement with the BNP also said the statement only hinted about a probable time.

Zonayed Saki, a key leader of the Ganatantra Mancha and a coordinator of the Ganosamhati Andolan, told Prothom Alo that the recent indications about the timing of the elections could help in stabilizing the country politically and economically.

However, he added that if a clear roadmap is provided through discussions with stakeholders, it would have an even more positive impact on the stability.

Leaders of the 12-party alliance, another ally of the BNP, believe that after four months of forming an interim government, statements about the timing of the elections are finally coming from the top levels of the government. However, they note that the statements do not mention the timeline for reforms or the election date.

The spokesperson of this alliance, Shahadat Hossain, told Prothom Alo that a date for the elections needs to be announced quickly, as parties have been demanding this.

But the statement from the Chief Adviser mentioned a possible election timeframe of about one to one and a half years. Shahadat Hossain also said that many parties, including his, want the election to be held by June 2025. They believe that reforms will be carried out by a political government.

The left-wing parties are also not fully satisfied with the Chief Adviser’s statement about the election. These parties are calling for a specific roadmap with the dates for reforms and the election.

Ruhin Hossain, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), told Prothom Alo that while the Chief Adviser’s indication about the election timing is good news, he believes that a roadmap for holding elections by 2025 can be created through discussions with political parties.

Some Islamic parties have also expressed similar views. Matiur Rahman Akand, the central publicity secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, told Prothom Alo that they were expecting a roadmap for reforms and the election, but they did not receive any clear statements. He mentioned that an indication of a possible election date was given, but it was conditional on the preparation of a voter list.

The Islami Andolan also expressed concerns about the interim government's approach to signaling the election. Gazi Ataur Rahman, the senior joint general secretary of the party, said that many parties, including the Islami Andolan, want elections after the completion of reforms. They believe that if elections are held midway, the reforms will not happen, as a political government will not carry out reforms. Therefore, the Islamic Andolan sees the government’s uncertainty about indicating the election date before completing reforms as a concern.

On the issue of the roadmap, parties are now hoping for dialogue with the head of the interim government. They are stating that by the first week of January, proposals for six reform commissions are expected to be submitted. After that, if the government engages in discussions with the parties as promised and creates a roadmap, it would clear all doubts and concerns.