BNP is not against reform, said the party’s Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan. He made this remark at the beginning of a discussion between the BNP and the National Consensus Commission on Thursday. The discussion, focused on important reform proposals, began around 11 a.m. at the LD Hall of the National Parliament.

Calling reform a continuous process, Nazrul Islam Khan said, “Reform is inevitable. With time, many things change—they must change. Even yesterday, we told the Chief Advisor: has any political party in Bangladesh implemented more reforms than the BNP? Politically speaking, it was the BNP that reinstated democracy. The BNP also introduced multi-party democracy. So, the BNP is not against reform; it is a party of reform.”

He further said, “When others weren’t even uttering the word ‘reform,’ BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had already presented Vision 2030. When many hadn’t even considered reform, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman had announced a 19-point program. Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman consulted with all active political parties and introduced a 31-point state reform agenda. If anyone has a better proposal than this, we’re open to it. That’s how we’re approaching the commission’s work—from this perspective.”

The BNP Standing Committee member also stated, “If any charter or declaration comes from this consensus commission, the BNP already has its own reform charter. So we support this initiative. We only want one thing: that everything be done with the consent of the people—because people are at the core of everything.”

He added, “I believe all the proposals made so far have been done with good intentions. We want progress—more progress. But let’s not take so long trying to make it perfect that the people’s desire for change fades away.”

Nazrul Islam Khan concluded, “We have another opportunity before us. We want to make the most of it. We are cooperating with this commission and the government with that hope. Because how many more times? How many more times will we fight, win, only to have the fruits of our struggle snatched away?”