BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday expressed the hope that the national election will be held in February next year, as he sees no sign of uncertainty about it.
"I don't see any sign that the election won't be held in February. There's no need to question it unnecessarily. I see the election is going to be held in February," he said.
He made the remarks during a press briefing at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan in response to a journalist’s question about demands made by various Islamic parties at Saturday’s Islami Andolon Bangladesh rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, where they called for local government elections to be held before the general election.
Khosru, a BNP Standing Committee member, said preparations for the election are already underway across the country.
“People across the country are preparing for the February election. The Election Commission is also making preparations. Everything is on track. So, there's no point in unnecessarily questioning something that hasn't happened yet, or trying to disrupt the upcoming election for no reason," he observed.
The BNP leader said it is normal for political parties to have differences of opinion and disagreements over various issues. "There is nothing wrong with that. Everyone has the right to express different views."
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The press briefing was held after a meeting between Canadian High Commissioner Ajit Singh and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
In response to a question, Khosru said the incidents of rape are not limited to one area, but are happening in different parts of the country. “Many of these cases are not reported. The government needs to be more capable and increase its vigilance to deal with the issue effectively.”
He strongly criticised efforts to politicise such incidents for narrow political gain. "Those who are committing such acts and seeking an opportunity to gain an electoral advantage in the future will, unfortunately, not succeed," The BNP leader said.
Khosru also said attempts to divert public attention by politicising sensitive incidents like rape will not work. "Everyone knows who was involved in the incident in Cumilla. From what I’ve come to know, the person involved had links with Awami League politics. This has been reported on social media and in several newspapers."
Replying to another question about relations with India, he said it is important for neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and India to maintain good ties.
“But relations between two countries must be based on some key principles. A good relationship must be built on mutual respect and protecting each other’s interests,” the BNP leader said.
He said such a relationship should also ensure that there is no interference in each other’s internal affairs. “These aspects must be prioritised. When these matters are ensured, I believe it will be much easier to advance our relationship."