Most political parties in a meeting with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday demanded an election road map without further delay while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party said that there was no reason to hold national election beyond December.
The National Citizen Party, however, on the first day of the second phase of the dialogue between the National Consensus Commission and political parties, underlined the need for state reforms and reconstitution of the Election Commission before fixing any date for the general election.
The meeting, joined by representatives from 30 parties engaged in the ongoing reform discussions, was aimed at reaching a consensus on state reforms and also finalising the July Charter, said several politicians and officials, who attended the meeting.
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam urged the interim government to hold the election before June considering monsoon period.
Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, also the head of the commission, however, remained stick to holding the national polls anytime between December this year and June 2026 after the reforms as required for a democratic transition, said the sources.
鈥楢ll would not agree on all points of reforms in various sectors and it is the beauty of democracy. Necessary reforms excepting the constitutional reforms could be completed even in a month,鈥� BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters emerging from the meeting.
There is no reason to go beyond December in holding the polls, he said, adding that the people expected neutrality from the interim government.
Professor Yunus began the second phase of the talks at a time when the BNP kept pressing for the national election by December while the interim government remained adamant to hold the polls between December this year and June 2026 giving any road map.
Addressing the inaugural session of the second round talks, Professor Yunus expressed hope that such discussions would help remove differences among them on the reform issues.
He also said that they would be able to reach a consensus on more issues as the second phase of the talks would continue.
NCP leader Nahid Islam said that the government should not go for elections before state reforms and reconstitution of the Election Commission.
He said that they wanted to give the interim government two more months for framing the July Charter so that the fascist system could not return as the student-led mass uprising ousted the fascist regime in August 2024 and one year of July uprising would be completed next month.
Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq said that most parties were in support of holding elections in December.
Talking to 抖阴精品, Ganasamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that they told the meeting that the government should give the election road map immediately. 鈥楾he government should rather explain if it could not organise the election by December,鈥� he added.聽
Against the backdrop of recent political unrest, marked by frequent street protests and infighting among parties, Professor Yunus held meetings with political parties in phases on May 24 and 25 to address the crisis.
During the meetings, political parties expressed support to chief adviser but held firm to their own demands 鈥� the BNP pushed for elections by December, the Jamaat and the National Citizen Party called for reforms, visible progress in justice and then elections within the timeline announced by the government.
Other political parties also demanded a clear road map for the next general election, a charter for consensus-based reforms and to ensure visible progress in the trial of the July Uprising killings.
Earlier the discussion, chief adviser Professor Yunus on May 22 indicated that he would not continue in his role if the current political situation remained unchanged.