Bangladesh: BNP rejects Yunus-led interim govt's 'reform before elections' logic, demands polls 'as soon as possible'

Dhaka, July 12 (IANS) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday firmly rejected the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government's justification of "justice and reforms before elections," asserting that it would no longer accept delays in the name of restructuring, according to local media reports.

BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, speaking at the party's new member recruitment and renewal campaign, stated that the only acceptable priority now is to ensure the people's right to vote through a free and fair election, leading Bangladeshi daily, Dhaka Tribune, reported.

"BNP will no longer accept the logic of 'first justice and reform, then elections'," he said.

"Justice and reform are continuous processes," he added. "The primary responsibility of an interim government is to reestablish democracy. To achieve that, power must be returned to the people as soon as possible through elections."

Addressing party leaders and workers, Khan urged restraint, stating, "We all must remain cautious not to act like the leaders and activists of the Awami League. Our conduct must reflect democracy and restraint."

Earlier on Friday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also raised the issue, stating that the reforms must be "dynamic."

"Reform is not something fixed like the Thai mountain range. It is a dynamic process," Rizvi said.

He argued that reforms, while essential, must not become a tool to defer elections.

"Reforms should be made and appropriate laws enacted when needed for the sake of democracy, the state, or the people," he said, adding that "insisting that reforms must be done first and that the July Charter must be included in the fundamental principles of the Constitution is misleading. This is creating confusion among people. Why are you trying to mislead the public in this way?"

Rizvi called on all political parties to focus on returning power to the people instead of distracting them with misleading priorities.

"That is the most important task," he said.

The BNP's strong response comes after National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam claimed the country's people would not allow a general election without judicial and political reforms.

Speaking at a rally on Friday, he said, "People who are planning to hold general elections without the trial and reform, are the ones who are plotting to defer the polls. The young leaders of the mass uprising are fighting for elections and voting rights."

The ongoing debate over the sequence of reforms and elections has deepened the political stir in Bangladesh.

Critics argue that the Yunus-led interim government, which came to power following the ouster of the democratically elected Awami League government in August 2024, lacks transparency and has no clear roadmap for restoring democratic processes.

Once united in their opposition to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the political outfits that supported the July uprising and brought Muhammad Yunus to power as Chief Advisor are now showing signs of division.

--IANS

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