BNP seeks national elections by July-August: Fakrhul
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the interim government to take initiatives for holding the next parliamentary elections by July and August this year, saying that it believes the polls could be held within the timeframe.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakrhul Islam Alamgir made the call while speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s office in the capital’s Gulshan area on Tuesday.
“We have repeatedly stated that there is no alternative to an elected government. It is crucial for democracy,” said Mirza Fakhrul. “We believe elections can be held in the middle of this year, by July and August. Therefore, we urge the government, the election commission, and all political parties to take necessary steps to hold elections by the time in the greater national interest.”
The call came following a meeting of the BNP’s national standing committee on Monday, with acting chairman Tarique Rahman joining it virtually. The press briefing was called to disclose the decisions of the meeting.
Mirza Fakhrul noted that the national elections were a key topic of discussion at the meeting. “There was a long discussion regarding the chief adviser’s statement about holding the election either at the end of the current year, or at the middle of 2026. We believe there is no point in such a delay.
He added, “With the election commission already formed and governance showing relative stability, we believe the elections can proceed sooner. The reform commissions' reports are due tomorrow, Wednesday, so there is no ground to delay further. The longer we wait, the greater the political and economic crisis becomes.”
No question of local government election before national polls
In response to questions about holding local government elections before parliamentary polls, Mirza Fakhrul firmly rejected the idea, saying, “We want parliamentary elections first”.
“Our decision is clear – there should be no question of holding local government elections before the national parliamentary elections. The entire nation is now focused on the national parliamentary election, since the crisis lies there,” he added.