After a meeting with the Election Commission (EC), BNP Senior Leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Sunday said it is possible to hold the next election promptly, as the Commission is confident to complete the updated voter list by May or June next.
"From their (EC’s) words, it seems to us that they will be ready for the election with a completely updated voter list by May or June," he said while speaking to reporters after the meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban.
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, however, said the EC does not have the authority to make the final decision regarding the election.
According to the constitution and conventional rules, he said, a parliamentary election must be held in the country within 90 days of the resignation of a government, but currently, the country is not being run in accordance with that law.
The BNP said the government now needs to request the Election Commission to conduct the election based on political consensus.
“But, we understand that if the complete voter list is ready by next May and June, then a quick election is possible by addressing other relevant issues,” he said.
Nazrul said they primarily discussed with the Election Commission what the Commission is currently doing and its preparations for the national election. The EC is working on updating the voter list, which is expected to be finalised by March 2, he added.
The BNP leader said the EC has informed them that around 30 lakh new voters--who were not registered previously--will be added to the updated voter list. "Around 1.5 million deceased voters will also be excluded. Ultimately, 15 lakh voters are expected to be added to the voter list."
In response to a question about whether they are satisfied with the EC’s election preparations, Nazrul said, "Well, according to the law, what they are supposed to do, we understand that they are doing it correctly."
Regarding the recommendations of the reform commission, Nazrul said that the government will discuss the reform commission's recommendations with stakeholders. "If a decision is made to amend the law or regulations based on those discussions, the Election Commission must comply with them.”
Asked whether the Election Commission’s concern about losing its power if some proposals of the election reform commission are implemented was discussed, the BNP leader replied, "Look, that’s their matter, they will speak on it."
He, however, said if BNP finds any proposal from the reform commission to be an obstacle to conducting a fair election, the party will oppose it, just like the Election Commission would.
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Earlier, a three-member BNP delegation had a meeting with the Election Commission (EC), including the Chief Election Commissioner, to discuss various issues, including preparations for the upcoming national election.
The hour-long meeting that began at 3:30 pm was held in the conference room of the Agargaon Nribachan Bhaban.
The delegation, led by Nazrul Islam Khan, participated in the meeting. The other members of the BNP delegation were party Standing Committee members Salahuddin Ahmed and Selima Rahman.
Alongside the Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, Election Commissioners Anwarul Islam Sarkar, Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Begum Tahmida Ahmad, and Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah, as well as EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, participated in the meeting.
Before the formal meeting, the BNP delegation entered the Election Building and met with the Chief Election Commissioner at his office around 3 pm. Later, they joined the formal meeting with the EC.
This was the BNP’s first official meeting with the newly formed Election Commission, which was established on November 21 under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasiruddin.
The BNP is aiming for the national election to take place in the middle of this year.
On Saturday, the party announced plans to hold 64 public rallies across the country to generate public support for the swift announcement of an election roadmap.
The meeting with the Election Commission is part of the party’s broader efforts to pressure for the prompt holding of the election.
Following the meeting with the EC, a BNP delegation is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday to discuss the country’s current situation, various election-related issues, and reforms.