Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday said that his party had demanded the national election by next December.
He hoped that Bangladeshi people would immediately see the most credible national election in the country鈥檚 history under the leadership of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
鈥極ur expectation is now that the people will immediately see the freest and impartial national election in the country鈥檚 history under the leadership of a skilled and competent and聽 internationally acclaimed head of interim government,鈥� he said while virtually addressing a discussion.
The National People鈥檚 Party arranged the programme at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, marking its 18th founding anniversary.
Tarique said that political parties had once again met the chief adviser and demanded a clear announcement of the date and time of the national election. 鈥楤NP has demanded that the national election must be held by next December.鈥�
He said that BNP and those, who have long been protesting on the streets together, had continued their full cooperation with the interim government for the necessary reforms in public administration and law and order forces to hold the national election.
鈥楾aking advantage of any excuse or unnecessary delay in establishing a government accountable to the people of Bangladesh through their vote, the fallen, fugitive and defeated autocrat is waiting to rise up,鈥� the BNP leader warned.
He, however, said that it was possible to prevent the rehabilitation of fascists, subversives, and evil forces by establishing the rights of the people of a fascism-free Bangladesh.
鈥楢lthough we see procedural and systematic differences among the anti-fascist political parties in terms of our respective party ideology and programmes, I firmly believe that the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh are united as they were on August 5 on the one-sided issue of tackling the rise of fascism in the larger interest of the country and the people,鈥� Tarique said.
He said that a sense of instability was being created among the country鈥檚 citizens, forcing people of different walks of life and professions to take to the streets every day with various demands. 鈥楾hough unfortunately, there is no one to pay heed to their demands.鈥�
鈥楢ll the political parties should now aim to resist the political comeback of the fallen fascist. For this, the political empowerment of the people is necessary.鈥�
He said that no government could become autocratic when the country鈥檚 people became politically empowered.
The BNP acting chairman also opposed the government鈥檚 sudden move to reform the National Board of Revenue just before the national budget, warning of its negative impact on revenue collection and as a whole on the economy.
He said that regardless of the nature of a government鈥攅lected, interim, or caretaker鈥攊f it could not be made accountable to people, the ruling administration might unknowingly become autocratic.
鈥楾hat is why citizens must continue to constructively criticise the government, even by ignoring all sorts of threats. Every citizen must be vocal in establishing their rights.鈥�
He noted that reforms were necessary to ensure qualitative changes in the state, government, and politics. 鈥楾here is no such thing as too little or too much reform. It is an ongoing process for the state or politics. However, I think practical reform is much more important than theoretical reform.鈥�
He said that the government should accept the justified demands of people, rising above emotion and anger. 鈥楾he people of the country are not at the mercy of any government. The government is certainly obliged to listen to the people and accept their just demands. There is no scope for the government to be emotional and aggrieved.鈥�
He said that there was no crisis of moral and political legitimacy of the interim government, established on the blood of several thousand martyrs.
Tarique warned that no plan could become effective and sustainable if the people were kept in the dark and political parties left in uncertainty.
The BNP leader said that local and foreign investment had stagnated due to the lack of a stable democratic government in the country.
