December cut-off time for next election: Khosru

Dhaka, 20 Mar  – BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday said the country will be on the right track if the next election is held by December this year, as it is the cut-off time for the parliamentary polls.

"Everyone assumes that there is no scope to delay the election beyond December. Many have already considered that December is too late. But, December is still widely regarded as the 'cut-off time’. The general consensus is that if the election is held by December, we will be on the right path," he said.

The BNP leader made the remarks while briefing reporters on the outcome of a meeting between European Union (EU) Ambassador Michael Miller and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The around one-hour meeting, held at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, covered a range of topics related to Bangladesh’s upcoming elections, reforms, and bilateral issues.

Khosru, a BNP standing committee member, said restoring democracy in Bangladesh is vital. “We have fought for 17 years to return the ownership to the people. The only way to restore it is through an election.”

He said they had an in-depth discussion on the overall political and economic situation in Bangladesh, along with bilateral matters.

Khosru said they also discussed Bangladesh’s upcoming general election, ongoing reform initiatives, and the restoration of democratic processes.

The BNP leader said the EU is eager to assist Bangladesh in strengthening the electoral process and various institutions through reforms.

"We informed the ambassador that reform issues on which there is consensus will be taken forward. As for the issues on which there is no agreement—whether constitutional, electoral, or any other matter—every political party has the right to present them to the people in the upcoming election. Then, there will be discussions, debates, and arguments in Parliament before a decision are made," he said.

Khosru said both domestically and internationally, everyone is focused on when the election will take place and when democratic order will return to the country.

“There is a government in the country, but democratic order has not yet been restored. No administration, supported by the police or any other force, can stand without an elected government with the support of the people," he said.

The BNP leader said working with an elected government will benefit everyone and the foreign partners prefer to engage with an elected administration.

“Many problems will be resolved if a government supported by the people and a parliament accountable to the people can be established as soon as possible. Many issues are difficult to resolve without political will. This issue has been discussed with importance in our discussions," he said.

Stating that the highest exports of Bangladesh go to the EU, the BNP leader mentioned that they also discussed their future approach with the EU.

In response to a question, Khosru said their party will submit its views on key reform recommendations to the National Consensus Commission on Sunday.