Zonayed Saki, a key leader of the Ganatantra Mancha and a coordinator of the Ganosamhati Andolan, told Prothom Alo that the recent indications about the timing of the elections could help in stabilizing the country politically and economically.
However, he added that if a clear roadmap is provided through discussions with stakeholders, it would have an even more positive impact on the stability.
Leaders of the 12-party alliance, another ally of the BNP, believe that after four months of forming an interim government, statements about the timing of the elections are finally coming from the top levels of the government. However, they note that the statements do not mention the timeline for reforms or the election date.
The spokesperson of this alliance, Shahadat Hossain, told Prothom Alo that a date for the elections needs to be announced quickly, as parties have been demanding this.
But the statement from the Chief Adviser mentioned a possible election timeframe of about one to one and a half years. Shahadat Hossain also said that many parties, including his, want the election to be held by June 2025. They believe that reforms will be carried out by a political government.
The left-wing parties are also not fully satisfied with the Chief Adviser’s statement about the election. These parties are calling for a specific roadmap with the dates for reforms and the election.
Ruhin Hossain, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), told Prothom Alo that while the Chief Adviser’s indication about the election timing is good news, he believes that a roadmap for holding elections by 2025 can be created through discussions with political parties.