BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said those who want to delay the election are certainly not pro-democratic or supporters of the July-August revolution.
“People want an immediate election. We have said this many times before, and we are saying it again. Those who want to delay the election are surely not pro-democratic forces and not pro-July-August revolution forces,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said his party believes the country will move towards holding the election based on the discussions held between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman in London.
He alleged that a vested quarter is carrying out a false campaign to malign BNP.
“A few individuals and groups are spreading false propaganda involving BNP to create a negative impression in public mind. But people are not responding to it,” the BNP leader said.
He said the people of the country know BNP very well and know that it has always been there and has played a leading role in achieving all the good things in Bangladesh.
Fakhrul said it is important to understand that BNP is a tested liberal democratic political party, which wants to take charge of running the state through elections and people’s vote.
“We do not want to come to power through a revolution or any other means. No one can have any doubt about our intentions. We have fought for 15 years to restore democracy,” he said.
Unfortunately, Fakhrul alleged, some sections of the media and certain individuals are spreading various claims about BNP's stance on reform, which are not accurate. “There is no room to question BNP’s commitment to reform because BNP is the very party that strongly spoke about reforms as early as 2016.”
He said Begum Khaleda Zia herself first talked about reforms in 2016 through the Vision-2030 initiative. “After that, we announced a 27-point and later a 31-point reform proposal. As we are sincere about reforms, we have organised numerous programmes across the country to present these 31 points to the public and to civil society.”
Despite this, Fakhrul lamented, a certain group is deliberately trying to portray BNP as being against reforms. “This is part of a planned campaign to mislead people.”
He said BNP has not only survived but has grown stronger and more popular through its continuous struggle against authoritarian rule for nearly one and a half decades.
“The blood of hundreds of martyrs, the sacrifices of our fellow activists who faced enforced disappearances and killings, and the indescribable suffering of hundreds of thousands of leaders and workers have further strengthened BNP’s unity,” the BNP leader said.
With this united strength, broad public support, and long experience in governing the country, he said BNP is firmly committed to fulfilling its historic responsibility of restoring democracy in Bangladesh.
Fakhrul claimed that their party remains highly active in resisting the rise of authoritarianism and fascism. “Just as giving excessive power to an individual or institution leads to fascism, in the same way, stripping elected governments and parliaments of their authority weakens, fractures and renders the state ineffective.”
He called upon all to rise above party interests and use this hard-earned opportunity for change—earned through the blood of thousands of martyrs—in a constructive way.
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“Let us not fail in our responsibility to build a discrimination-free, humane, and prosperous Bangladesh, inspired by the spirit of our Liberation War, the student-led mass uprising of 1990, and the student-worker-people’s movement of July–August 2024,” the BNP leader said.
Regarding the July declaration, Fakhrul said their party has already given its opinions on the matter a long time ago. “We gave our feedback quite a while back. Then the government said they had taken responsibility for it and would handle it. But till now, they haven't brought anything forward.”
He said BNP has always been open to discussions on any issue at any time, and they are willing to engage in talks on any matter. “We have no problem in this regard.”
BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan said that since their party provided its feedback on the July Charter a long time ago, it is now the government’s responsibility to complete the task.
“If those responsible are delaying for some reason, BNP will not take the blame. This is not BNP’s responsibility,” he said.
Another BNP Standing Committee Member, Salahuddin Ahmed, said they compromised on many proposals of the Consensus Commission for the sake of progress in reform.
"We hope that we will be able to reach a consensus. Discussions are ongoing, but prolonged talks are not desirable,” he said.
On the issue of Proportional Representation (PR) voting, Nazrul Islam Khan said PR is a concept that is implemented differently in different countries. “But those who are now talking about PR aren't saying anything about how it would be implemented here. So, there’s a lack of clarity around the issue.”
He recalled that the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) system was introduced just to change the method of casting a vote in the country. “How many years has it been? A massive campaign was undertaken to inform the public, those who would operate the machines were trained… Despite all that, even today the EVM system hasn’t been fully implemented.”
He said the entire electoral system would be changed if the PR system is introduced. “Have you engaged with the public on this? Has anyone informed the people about it? Has there been any consultation with civil society, representative institutions, or even with political parties? No, these have not happened.”
The BNP leader said the PR discussion is still at a very preliminary stage, as no formal discussions on this have even begun at the National Consensus Commission.
"Yet some of our colleagues are saying this must happen, or there can be no election. What does that even mean?" he said.
Opposing the PR system, Nazrul said that in this system, voters wouldn’t even know who their representative is. “Is that acceptable?”
"Even so, when the issue arises, we will discuss it. There is no barrier to discussion. Our representatives are already engaging in talks all day. They are listening to the viewpoints of representatives from other parties as well."