BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and party Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman removed uncertainty and brought a new hope through a fruitful consensus to hold the next national election before Ramadan.
"The fruitful consensus reached in this meeting on holding the national election before the upcoming Ramadan has dispelled uncertainty and brought a message of relief and new hope for the people of the country," he said in a statement.
The BNP leader said the meeting --held in London in a very cordial atmosphere --ensured Bangladesh’s victory.
“We sincerely thank Prof Muhammad Yunus for determining a logical timeframe for the election by stepping away from the previously announced unfavourable April timeline, connecting the expectations and achievements of the entire Bangladesh,” the BNP leader said.
Stating that the Chief Adviser has made a timely decision realising the aspirations of people, Fakhrul said it was a move worthy of appreciation.
Election possible before Ramadan: Prof Yunus tells Tarique
Holding the principle of 'Bangladesh first' in his heart, the BNP leader said Tarique has proven, as always, that his highest priority is the country's interests, sovereignty and stability.
“He (Tarique) has demonstrated a sense of responsibility by making concessions in response to the needs of the time. In the journey to establish democracy, he is not only a leader of the highest power on the streets, but also equally skilled and visionary at the dialogue table and in constructive engagement," he said.
By gifting the Chief Adviser two books titled 'No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference' and 'Nature Matters: Vital Poems from the Global Majority' and a pen, the BNP leader said Tarique ushered in a new trend of political courtesy and knowledge-based state thinking.
“We believe this cordial understanding between the head of the largest political party and the Chief Adviser of the interim government will lead to a victory for democracy, for Bangladesh, and for the people,” Fakhrul said.
“We believe that through this harmony and consensus between the largest political party and the head of the interim government, democracy will lead to a victory for democracy, Bangladesh and its people,” he observed.
The BNP leader said the expectation now is that the interim government will begin all-out preparations to hold elections before next Ramadan, keeping its stated position intact.
Election in mid-February as Chief Adviser agrees: Fakhrul
The high-stake meeting between Professor Yunus and Tarique ended after nearly one and a half hours of discussion on various crucial issues ahead of the general election.
The meeting began at the Dorchester Hotel in London at 2pm, Bangladesh time, on Friday and continued until 3:30pm (BST), said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. It was scheduled to end at 4pm but concluded half an hour earlier than planned.