The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expressed growing concern over what it describes as increasing ambiguity surrounding the timing of the next national elections.
The party is set to meet with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday in a bid to gain clarity on the matter.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed told on Tuesday that uncertainty over the electoral timeline has intensified in recent weeks. He confirmed that a BNP delegation led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will attend the meeting scheduled for 12 noon at the Chief Adviser’s official residence, the State Guest House Jamuna.
“This meeting will focus primarily on the elections,” said Salahuddin. “During our last meeting with the Chief Adviser, he assured us that elections would take place between December and June. We trusted his assurance, as 18 months seemed sufficient to implement necessary reforms and hold free, fair, and inclusive polls.”
Salahuddin said that following that assurance, the BNP had expected further engagement between the Chief Adviser and the Election Commission to clarify and communicate the election roadmap to the nation. “But we haven’t seen any such initiative,” he noted.
He added that public statements by several government advisers referring to a possible five-year tenure for the interim government have only deepened confusion.
“The Chief Adviser’s press secretary reaffirmed the December–June timeframe, but such mixed signals are fostering ambiguity. That’s why we need to hear the government’s clear position directly from him,” Salahuddin said.
He emphasized that the BNP will urge the Chief Adviser to officially announce a detailed roadmap for the elections.
When asked whether topics other than elections might be raised during the meeting, Salahuddin replied that the party also intends to seek clarification on the scope and nature of the reforms being implemented.
“The Chief Adviser has referred to small and large reforms. We want to understand what he meant by that. The BNP is participating in discussions on reform, including through the National Consensus Commission. But reforms should not be used as an excuse to delay an election roadmap. That would be unacceptable,” he said.
