BNP senior leader Salahuddin Ahmed on Friday urged the interim government to assure the nation whether Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus conveyed to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) the message to prepare for holding the national election in the first half of February 2026.
“We saw in the media that the Chief Election Commissioner met the Chief Adviser. After the London meeting, we expected that the Chief Adviser would formally inform the Election Commission about holding the national election in the first half of February 2026, before the start of Ramadan,” he said while talking to reporters at his Gulshan residence.
As Prof Yunus held a meeting with the CEC on Thursday, Salahuddin, a BNP Standing Committee member, said they hoped that either the Chief Adviser’s office or the Election Commission would inform the media about what had been discussed.
“Everyone is now assuming that the Chief Adviser conveyed his message to the Chief Election Commissioner regarding preparations for holding the elections in the first half of February 2026, the week before the start of Ramadan. That is our assumption,” he said.
The BNP leader, however, said they did not know whether the Chief Adviser really communicated this message or gave any advice or instructions regarding the election. “If both sides clarify the matter before the nation, then we will be reassured.”
Earlier on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMN Nasir Uddin had a courtesy meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna.
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Salahuddin said the Election Commission had said several times in the past that all preparations, including procurement processes, would be completed by September.
He said the voter list update was already done, and other necessary procurement processes had also been completed.
“Only the delimitation process remains, and that can be finished within three months… After the schedule is announced, there will be many activities, including appointing polling officers and presiding officers, setting up polling stations, and conducting training. These are ongoing processes. No special preparation is required for these,” the BNP leader said.
When asked about the Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party’s (NCP's) demand for local elections before the parliamentary polls, Salahuddin dismissed the idea, saying it is not viable.
“Political parties can make different demands, but most parties agree on holding the national election within the time mentioned by the Chief Adviser. There is no disagreement on this point,” he said.
“It would be almost impossible for the Election Commission to conduct local government elections within this period. These elections – whether union parishad, municipality, upazila or city corporation – require at least six months to organise. If they go for local elections now, they might not be able to hold the national election on time,” the BNP leader said.
Salahuddin said the priority must be on holding a free, fair, and neutral national election under the caretaker government.
“We have fought for our voting rights, not for local government elections. The Election Commission’s main duty now is to prepare for the national election, reflecting the hopes and expectations of the people,” he said.