Stating that the Chief Adviser’s announcement to hold the next national election in early April 2026 has “disappointed and angered people”, BNP has reiterated its demand for the polls to be held by December this year.
“People’s victory was achieved through the immense sacrifices made by students and the mass people during the July–August 2024 movement. But the unwarranted delay in arranging the election has disappointed and angered the people,” the party said in a statement.
“So, the (BNP’s) National Standing Committee meeting reiterates its proposal to hold the election by December this year, taking into consideration Ramadan, secondary and higher secondary or equivalent examinations, and weather conditions, etc,” it added.
Following an emergency virtual meeting of the party’s highest policy-making body, the statement was issued early Saturday based on the decision of the party’s Standing Committee.
The Standing Committee meeting, presided over by BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, was convened following Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’ televised address to the nation.
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The statement said the meeting extensively reviewed the contents of the Chief Adviser’s speech and concluded that the announcement ignored the aspirations of a nation striving to reclaim its right to vote through prolonged struggles.
“The people of this country, deprived of their basic voting rights for almost a decade and a half, have continued their struggle to restore democracy through voting, despite being disappeared, murdered, imprisoned, injured, and tortured,” the BNP policymakers said.
They said although the non-partisan interim government speaks of building consensus, it has put its own neutrality into question by becoming influenced by a particular political quarter. “So, the meeting believes that the people of the country may be rightly concerned about the possibility of a free and fair election (under this government).”
The BNP Standing Committee observed that holding the election in early April could lead to complications—both due to adverse weather conditions and the challenges of conducting campaigns and election-related activities during Ramadan—which may ultimately be used as grounds for deferring the polls.
Besides, they said the Chief Adviser’s address did not provide any clear justification as to why holding the election by December would not be feasible.
The meeting unanimously observed that the Chief Adviser’s statement, initially intended as a message marking Eid-ul-Azha, instead turned into an address to the nation.
In his lengthy speech, the BNP policymakers said Prof Yunus touched upon issues such as ports and corridors—topics which, by his own admission, do not fall within the three mandates of the interim government. “The meeting expressed anger at his choice of words in the speech, which crossed the limits of political decorum.”