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Voicing concerns over visible efforts to make election demand an offence, Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday said public doubts are mounting over why the interim government is buying so much time on reforms.

‘Reform efforts are under way to repair the state and politics. But, if the political parties’ demand for elections has to be ignored for the sake of ongoing reforms, then what is the significance of reforms? This is now the question on the minds of many people,’ he said while virtually addressing a discussion marking the fifth founding anniversary of ‘Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party.’

He said every political party in the country is in favour of reforms. ‘Yet, questions are slowly growing in public mind about why the interim government is wasting so much time on reforms.’

The BNP leader warned that if depoliticisation is encouraged by ignoring political parties and the verdict of the people, it will ultimately put democracy at risk.

‘Through this event, I would like to once again call upon the interim government to specifically announce the roadmap for the national election. The current interim government must take the initiative to make political parties face the people’s court,’ he said.

Tarique said if a parliament and government accountable to people are formed through the people’s vote, the country’s independence and sovereignty will be consolidated.

‘As a political activist, I firmly believe that once the people and political parties become accustomed to forming and changing governments through political practice, no one will be able to turn Bangladesh into a subservient state,’ he observed.

As a political party aiming at qualitative reform of the state and politics and the political empowerment of the country’s citizens, Tarique said BNP has always been demanding the establishment of a government and parliament elected by the people through direct vote.

‘Political parties will demand elections. This is a normal democratic practice, but we’ve noticed a subtle but deliberate effort in recent days to create an atmosphere where demanding the holding of elections seems like a crime,’ he said.

The BNP leader said derogatory statements or comments about the holding of the national election only please the fugitive dictator. ‘But on the other hand, it is insulting to the democracy-loving people.’

The AB Party arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, where senior leaders of different political parties addressed.