The BNP has expressed dissatisfaction after a meeting with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government, due to the absence of a specific roadmap for the upcoming elections.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a nearly two-hour-long meeting on Wednesday.

He said, "The Chief Adviser did not present a specific roadmap for the election. He mentioned that elections could be held anytime between December and June. We have clearly said that December is the cutoff point for elections."

In response to journalists' questions, Fakhrul added, "We will discuss this within our party forum and then decide on our next steps."

The BNP delegation was led by Fakhrul and included Standing Committee members Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku.

Earlier, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed commented on the election issue, stating, "There's no room to walk the opposite path after embarking on the road to democracy. Creating confusion over elections—what kind of behavior is that? Every time we demand elections by December, it reveals a desire for prolonged power, which is not good for democracy."

He also said, "So many people gave their lives and took to the streets for democracy and voting rights—why is there hesitation in restoring it? Whose interest is being served by pushing elections from December to June? Why is instability being created? These issues will be discussed in the meeting."

BNP’s top policymaking forum had previously discussed taking organizational action if a clear roadmap for the elections wasn’t provided. The party had alleged that the election process was being delayed under the pretext of reforms. From the beginning, BNP has been calling for quick elections after necessary reforms are implemented. Like-minded parties and some left-leaning groups support this position.

On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami, the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), and several Islamic parties are demanding reforms before elections. There’s even debate over whether minor or major reforms are needed.

BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas said, “The Chief Adviser says elections in December. Another person says June. Someone else says the current government needs to stay for five years because people want it. Another adviser claims they are already elected. Meanwhile, someone close to the government says democracy leads to fascism and dictatorship. All these conflicting statements are creating a confusing environment and causing public doubts about the election.”

BNP to Meet National Consensus Commission Tomorrow
The BNP will hold a meeting with the National Consensus Commission tomorrow, Thursday, at 3 PM in the LD Hall of the National Parliament. The meeting follows the submission of BNP’s opinions on reforms to the commission on March 23.

Earlier, on March 6, the Consensus Commission had sent a “spreadsheet” of 166 key recommendations from five reform commissions to 37 political parties and alliances for their feedback.