Top leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday said state reforms will be undertaken only after the national election, dismissing any rationale for linking these matters to the electoral process.
“There will be no compromise on elections. No justification exists for delaying the election roadmap in the name of reform or justice. It was BNP, under Begum Khaleda Zia, that first placed reform proposals before the nation,” BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said while speaking at a youth-focused party rally in Nayapaltan.
Khosru highlighted the party’s earlier push for reform, saying, “BNP introduced a 27-point reform agenda two years ago. The people of Bangladesh will decide on reforms—not an ‘all-party’ commission or any externally imposed structure.”
About the calls for accountability for the Awami League, Khasru said, “The fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government will be largely credited to the uncompromising struggle of Begum Khaleda Zia, who risked her life, and the relentless efforts of Tarique Rahman. No party has endured or suffered as much as BNP. If justice is to be served, BNP will deliver it.”
Another senior BNP leader, Abdul Moyeen Khan, emphasised the pivotal role of students and youth in resisting autocracy and reviving democracy. “Let’s not forget, the July–August victories were only the first phase. The current phase of our movement is to ensure fair elections. We are cooperating with the government and expect it to respond by announcing elections without delay.”
He said the youths’ aspirations must be respected and BNP’s movement would only end when power is transferred to elected representatives through democratic means.
In a scathing critique of the interim government, BNP leader Mirza Abbas said, “This administration, once seen as a government of public trust and expectation, has now become a source of disregard. Over the past nine months, the people have received nothing but neglect. This is a colonial-style regime. Most of its members are not even citizens of this country.”
BNP’s youth rally turns Nayapaltan into a sea of people
Abbas dismissed the ruling authority’s reform pledges, saying, “They failed to implement reforms in nine months—they won’t succeed in nine or even ninety years. The government must apologise and hand over power to the people’s representatives before the nation suffers irreparable damage.”
Echoing the demand for immediate elections, BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the ruling party had taken no real steps to restore voting rights. “They are conspiring to delay the elections. Otherwise, there’s no reason to conflate reforms and justice with elections. We had little expectation from this government, and it has failed to meet even that.”
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed warned that any attempt by the government to stall the electoral process or obstruct democratic rights could lead to a political movement against the interim administration.
We asked for a roadmap to elections in December — we did not demand anyone’s resignation. The people of Bangladesh have witnessed a theatrical display of resignation. If speaking out for democratic rights is a crime, then BNP is prepared to commit that crime again and again,” he told the rally.
He issued a stern warning, stating that failure to facilitate the swearing-in of Ishraque Hossain as Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation and to promptly announce a clear roadmap for the upcoming general election would only fuel further agitation. “Such a course of action, if taken, will be most unfortunate.”
BNP wings’ rally underway at Nayapaltan; traffic gridlock paralyses parts of Dhaka
Criticising the prevailing state of the judiciary, he said, “Court verdicts are no longer implemented. Under these circumstances, unity among pro-democratic forces is imperative. We must build an unbreakable alliance among all democratic powers to ensure that authoritarianism does not rise again in Bangladesh.”
The BNP leader also emphasised the need for systemic reform. “We want a constitution and a state structure that ensures no future resurgence of autocracy.”
The BNP rally drew tens of thousands of enthusiastic supporters, turning the Nayapaltan area—stretching from Kakrail to Arambagh—into a sea of people from early morning.
The event officially began at 2:00 PM, but participants from Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Faridpur started arriving well before that, travelling in buses and pickups.
Members of BNP’s student, youth and volunteer wings -- Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal--wore caps in red, green and yellow with party logos and carried banners in a spirited display of party unity.