Recently, a BNP delegation met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and advised the interim government to start functioning in the role of a neutral caretaker administration. How do you view this proposal?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: I see it positively. The interim government should indeed act like a caretaker government. There are too many people in the government now—I’m sure it will become smaller and more streamlined. It should focus only on routine work. The government moving toward an election-oriented role would be a very significant step.
In that meeting, BNP brought allegations against one adviser of the government and one of Professor Yunus’s special assistants. Later, Jamaat also met him and, without naming anyone, accused some advisers of working on behalf of a political party. How do you view such counter-allegations?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: Asif and others have connections with NCP. What the nation expects is that the next caretaker government must be free from any bias. I think it is quite reasonable for those individuals to resign from the government.
Although the July Charter has been signed, its implementation process is still not finalised. There is disagreement among political parties about how it should be implemented. Could this lead to a crisis?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: No, I don’t see any crisis. It’s unrealistic to expect that all political parties will agree on everything. The July Charter represents a spirit. So many people sacrificed their lives to bring down a dictatorship—that spirit belongs to all of us. It’s really about mindset. Naturally, every party will have parts it likes and others it doesn’t, and that’s perfectly normal.
Do you see any uncertainty about the election, which the interim government plans to hold in the first half of February?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: No, I don’t see any uncertainty. We are election-oriented. We believe the government will hold the election, and we trust that. The people also want to believe it. What the nation wants most is a truly neutral caretaker government.
Have you received any green signal from the BNP regarding the election? If so, in which constituencies will you contest?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: No, we are a separate party. It’s not about getting signals. We have several potential candidates in our party. We’ll sit with the BNP and negotiate. It’s not about whether we or BNP win; what matters is that the strongest nationalist candidates—those who will work for the people—get the opportunity. I respect BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s inclusive mindset toward building a national government or parliament with all nationalist forces. I believe competent candidates will be given fair chances based on that spirit.
Where do you plan to contest from?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: From our party, we intend to contest from Bhola Sadar and Dhaka-17 constituencies.
Since the 2008 re-demarcation, BNP has never won Dhaka-17. You contested there in 2018 under the BNP nomination but lost. What are your expectations this time? Do you see any strong rival?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: Every opponent is a good opponent. No one should be underestimated. The main thing is to connect with people—to earn their trust. Around five crore (50 million) people will vote for the first time. That’s a huge new electorate with high expectations. We’ll reach out to them door-to-door, and if Allah wills and gives the responsibility, I hope the result will be good.
If the RPO (Representation of the People Order) isn’t amended, you’ll have to contest under your party’s symbol. Do you think that will affect the election?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: The ‘sheaf of paddy’ (electoral symbol of BNP) is a very strong symbol. It’s true that campaigning and motivating voters and activists will be harder for small parties using their own symbols. For smaller but politically relevant parties that lack a solid vote base or strength of grassroot activists, getting the sheaf of paddy symbol is certainly a big advantage.
Many people complain about the lack of a level playing field in elections. What’s your view?
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: I think it’s too early to talk about that. Many things haven’t changed yet—especially administrative issues. We’ll know the real situation after the election schedule is announced. The level playing field will vary depending on constituencies.
Thank you.
Andaleeve Rahman Partho: Thank you, and thanks to Prothom Alo as well.