The BNP, which had been pushing for a year-end national election, has suddenly shifted its stance, demanding it be held by mid-year, as senior party leaders sense a move to prioritise local body elections by the government.
Talking to UNB, some BNP senior leaders said a certain quarter is trying to pressure the government into holding local body elections before the national election, as part of a ploy to delay the 13th parliamentary election.
They said by demanding the national election by mid-year, their party has sent a clear message to the government that it will not accept any move to hold the local body elections.
The BNP leaders hinted that their party, along with like-minded parties, will exert pressure on the government to focus solely on promptly holding the national election through seminars, discussions and other programmes.
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A BNP standing committee member, speaking on condition of anonymity, mentioned that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said last week that his government was preparing to hold local government elections alongside the national parliamentary polls, while the head of the Local Government Reforms Commission Prof Tofail Ahmed said that people outside Dhaka are emphasising the need for local elections. "This’s an indication that the government is considering holding the local body polls.”
Besides, he said, the top leader of an Islamist party recently met the Chief Adviser, urging him to prioritise the local body elections, while the Jatiya Nagorik Committee and several student organisations have also been advocating for the local government elections to be held before the parliamentary election.
“The last two meetings of our standing committee thoroughly discussed the issue. We believe the move to hold the local body polls is a plot to unnecessarily delay the parliamentary election. So, we have decided to push for the national election to be held by July-August this year instead of waiting until December," the BNP policymaker said.
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He said student leaders involved in the Anti-Discrimination Movement are working to form a government with the support of the interim government. “They’re opposing an early national election as they need time to organise their party and expand its activities across the country before the polls.”
“That’s why they’re trying to persuade the government to hold the local body elections first, giving them space to prepare for the national election. We do not want any party to be formed with the government’s backing, nor do we want the election to be delayed without valid reason under the guise of reforms and local body polls,” the BNP leader said.
He said their standing committee is also opposed to the Chief Adviser's suggestion that the minimum voting age be lowered to 17 years. "We believe the current minimum age of 18 for becoming a voter is acceptable to all, and there is no need to change it.”
Earlier, on January 6, Prof Tofail Ahmed said while political parties are eager to hold the national election, the people outside Dhaka are more concerned about local government elections.
Three days later, Chief Advisor Dr Yunus told European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Nicola that the interim government is preparing for both national and local body elections simultaneously.
Following these developments, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday demanded that the interim government arrange the national election by August this year in the greater interest of the country.
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Speaking at a press conference, Fakhrul also said there is no question of holding local government elections before the national election. “We want the parliamentary election first.”
Contacted, BNP Standing Committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they have long been urging the government to hold the parliamentary election promptly within a reasonable timeframe.
“We have now clearly stated that holding the national election by July-August is that logical timeframe. The Election Commission is ready to conduct the polls, so the government can arrange the election by the middle of this year. We see no logical reason to delay the national election,” he said.
Mosharraf said the people of the country will elect a democratic government through the national election, which will then arrange local body elections. “This has been the practice in Bangladesh since its independence.”
He also said there is no precedent for any interim government holding local body elections in the past. “It’s also not necessary for the interim government to arrange local body polls. We want the government to fully focus on the national election.”
In response to a question, the BNP leader said they would now wait to see how the government responds to their demand for the election by the middle of 2025.
“If they don’t come up with a positive response, we, along with like-minded parties, will formulate our political strategy to realise our demand,” he said.
Another BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said the current government’s primary responsibility is to hold the national election, not any other elections. “So, they should focus on how promptly they can arrange the national election. We’re also not considering any other election at this time.”