BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday described the Chief Adviser’s statement on the upcoming national election as "unclear and disappointing."
"The statement regarding the election in the Chief Adviser's speech is ambiguous," he said while speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson's office in Gulshan.
The BNP Secretary General said they had expected that the Chief Adviser would present a clear roadmap for the election within a specific timeframe. "But he did not do so. This has been somewhat disappointing for us as well as for the nation," he said.
Since the Election Commission has already been formed, Fakhrul said there is no problem for it to begin preparations for conducting the election. "It is possible to do that very quickly.”
He also pointed out that the "contradictory statements" made by the Chief Adviser and his press secretary about the election timeline have created confusion about the government’s exact plan for the polls.
Earlier on Monday, Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, in a national address, hinted that the 13th National Parliamentary Election could be held either at the end of 2025 or in the first half of 2026.
His Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Tuesday said that it can be expected that the next general election will be held in the country by June 30, 2026.
“He (CA) has mentioned a time. What could be a clearer roadmap than this? You can expect the election to be held by June 30, 2026. This is a clear roadmap,” he said while briefing reporters over the current issues at the Foreign Service Academy.
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Fakhrul said the Chief Adviser had mentioned the elections would be held at the end of 2025 or early 2026. "Then, his press secretary said the elections would be arranged by June 2026.”
He said the statements from the Chief Adviser's press secretary are contradictory to what the Chief Adviser himself said. “So, exactly we don't know which one is right.”
Asked whether they considered the Chief Adviser's announced timeline for the elections to be logical, Fakhrul replied that it did not appear to be. "As we have said, we are disappointed by it."
The press conference was organised to announce the decisions made at a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee held on Monday night. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting, which he attended virtually.
Fakhrul said their meeting elaborately discussed the Chief Adviser's address to the nation and the explanation given by his press secretary about the election.
"The BNP Standing Committee thinks that the Chief Adviser's speech on the election was unclear. While a possible timeline for the election was mentioned, no specific details were given regarding the electoral roadmap," he said.
Fakhrul said the BNP policymakers also noted that the Chief Adviser mentioned the election timeline as either by the end of 2025 or in the first part of 2026. "This is ambiguous, as no specific timeframe was provided.”
On the other hand, he said, the meeting observed that the Chief Adviser’s press secretary created confusion by making a contradictory statement that the election would be held by June 2026.
"The meeting believed that such contradictory statements had only added to the confusion. It also observed that, since the Election Commission has already been formed, there’s no need to delay the election. By completing the necessary electoral reforms, the polls could be held promptly," Fakhrul said.
He said the people of the country expect a clear statement from the Chief Adviser on the specific timeframe for the election. "The meeting felt that the exact timing of the elections should be determined through consultation with political parties and other stakeholders."
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