Chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Andaleeve Rahman Partho, has stated that he does not support holding local government elections before the national elections.
Speaking to journalists outside the Foreign Service Academy after the first meeting of the National Consensus Commission on Saturday at around 5 PM, Partho expressed his stance on the matter.
He mentioned that various suggestions were discussed in the meeting, including the timing of the elections and which parties favored an early election. He made it clear that his party opposes local government elections before the national polls.
Partho expressed concerns over potential violence in the elections of approximately 4,500 union councils, citing the historically high levels of bloodshed in such contests. He emphasized that the ground reality is different, as many do not accept the ruling Awami League at the grassroots level and will continue to resist them. He stressed the need to prevent violence and ensure stability, while also asserting that national elections should not be delayed due to any electoral reforms.
He also noted that some political parties prefer to hold local government elections first.
