BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Wednesday claimed that public concerns over a deliberate delay in the national election under the guise of reforms are not unfounded.
Speaking at a workshop on BNP’s 31-point state reform proposal, organized by BNP’s Dhaka South city unit at the Railway Officers' Club ground in Shahjahanpur, Abbas said the government’s proposed reforms contain nothing new that isn’t already included in BNP’s 31-point agenda. He argued that this strengthens the perception that reforms are being used as an excuse to postpone the polls.
The BNP standing committee member suggested that the government could expedite the reform process by incorporating BNP’s proposals and holding elections sooner. He questioned why the election was being delayed until December when reforms could be completed earlier, allowing the polls to be held by June or July.
Abbas criticized certain political parties for allegedly advocating election delays under the pretext of reforms. He said BNP has sacrificed for democracy, free speech, and voting rights, yet some parties are now setting unnecessary conditions for elections. Without naming any group, he accused some political forces of opposing reforms simply for the sake of opposition and lacking genuine patriotism, claiming that these parties have a long history of resisting progress since the partition of India.
He further challenged other political parties to participate in the election, asserting that BNP has no objection to a fair contest. He questioned why certain groups were afraid of facing the polls. Abbas also criticized some journalists for focusing only on BNP’s negative aspects while ignoring its positive actions, alleging that various political parties, TV channels, and online platforms were working in coordination to tarnish BNP’s image.
He accused criminals and extortionists of infiltrating multiple political parties, including BNP and Jamaat, and urged BNP leaders to identify and remove them. He emphasized that such individuals must be exposed and removed to maintain the party’s integrity.
Abbas concluded by reaffirming BNP’s stance against wrongdoing, stating that miscreants, offenders, and extortionists would have no place in the party.
