Dr Yunus tells BNP, govt working for polls in Dec: Fakhrul

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

Dhaka, Feb 10 – BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus informed them that the interim government is working to arrange the next general election by December.

“The Chief Adviser and those who were with him assured us that they will arrange the election very soon. He (Prof Yunus) has also said they are working to arrange the election by December this year,” Fakhrul said while talking to reporters after a meeting with the Chief Adviser.

Mirza Fakhrul led a three-member BNP delegation during the 90-minute meeting with the Chief Adviser at state guest house Jamuna here in the evening.

The BNP leader said his party hopes that the government will come up with a roadmap to arrange the election by December next as per their and the people’s expectation.

Replying to a question when the government would announce the roadmap, he said the government will determine it. “Probably, they will say something about it by February 15,” said Fakhrul.

The BNP secretary said his party has been telling this government repeatedly that they are an interim government. “We’ve again asked to hold the election soon (during the meeting),” he said.

He said they talked about holding the election soon after completing minimum reforms on the basis of consensus to be reached through discussions.

"What we believe is that the transition towards a democratic government and a democratic system will be much easier if there is an election," said the BNP leader.

Two other members of BNP delegation are BNP Standing Committee members Salahuddin Ahmed and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

On Sunday afternoon, another BNP delegation, led by Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, met Chief Election Commissioner AMS Nasir Uddin and other election commissioners at the Election Commission office. - UNB