The BNP believes that only a clear roadmap for the election will be able to improve the present volatile situation in the country’s politics.
BNP leaders said they believe the situation resulted from divisions among the political camps that supported the July uprising, particularly over issues like the timing of the election and the demand for the resignation of certain advisers.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The other contentious issues include a proposed humanitarian corridor to Myanmar’s war-torn Rakhine state and the government move to hand Chattogram port’s management to a foreign company.
BNP leaders believe it is possible for the interim government to unveil the election roadmap by June. The sooner it is announced, the quicker the political atmosphere will be clarified, the party leaders said.
BNP leaders said they have been communicating with its allies over the past two days. A source said a formal meeting with the allies might take place in a day or two.
Meanwhile, the Ganosamhati Andolon also said an immediate announcement on a roadmap for justice, reforms, and polls is necessary to overcome the current uncertainty as quickly as possible and pave the way for a democratic transition.
“There is no alternative to achieving political consensus on this matter,” Ganosamhati Andolon said in a statement last night.
It also said national unity is essential for a peaceful democratic transition following the July uprising. “Without it, the nation will lose its way.”
The Ganosamhati Andolon, along with the BNP and several other parties, had participated in simultaneous demonstrations against the previous Awami League regime.
BNP leaders also had discussions with the Jamaat-e-Islami regarding the current situation.
According to the sources, the BNP had planned to meet Yunus last Wednesday following a decision taken by its National Standing Committee amid protests by BNP leader Ishraque Hossain’s supporters, who demanded that he be sworn in as Dhaka South City Corporation mayor in line with a court order.
They wanted to discuss Ishraque’s issue, along with other current political matters.
However, the meeting did not take place despite multiple attempts, the sources said.
The BNP had prepared a written statement to present at the planned meeting.
As the meeting did not take place, the BNP held a press conference at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office on Thursday
At the press conference, BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain reiterated the party’s demand for an immediate announcement of a roadmap for a free, fair, and inclusive national election by December this year.
Otherwise, he added, it would be difficult for the BNP to continue its support for the interim government.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also stated that the only way out of the current political crisis is to promptly declare an election roadmap, as further discussions are pointless. “Reform is a continuous process,” he added.
Asked about the matter, a BNP Standing Committee member said, “We don’t want to agitate against this government. But whenever we bring up the election issue, they ask for time. How much time? This December or June next year? This must be clarified.”
As the protests for Ishraque’s oath was raging, the National Citizen Party launched demonstrations demanding the reconstitution of the Election Commission for alleged bias towards the BNP.
The NCP also pressed for the July Declaration during the demonstrations.
The Jamaat has demanded a referendum to validate that Declaration. The BNP, however, questions why a new declaration is needed when the country already has one from 1971. There were previous uprisings in 1975 and 1990, but no one called for such declarations then, BNP leaders said.
According to the BNP, the demand for a new declaration aims to erase the legacy of the Liberation War and obscure the crimes of 1971. Therefore, the party will not be part of any such move.
Party leaders also said army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman’s recent remarks about state reforms, the national election, and mob justice reflect the sentiments of the public and signal the need to hold the election.