Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has categorically ruled out any possibility of extending the election timeline beyond June, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul told reporters on 16 April.
Speaking after a meeting between the chief adviser and a delegation from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Asif Nazrul said that elections would be held at the earliest possible date between December and June.
"We have no desire to cling to power without cause or squander time unnecessarily," he said. "There is no reason for anyone to harbour misgivings."
Nazrul noted that the BNP had questioned the rationale for further delays if the proposed reforms were eventually going to be implemented.
“We explained to them that, even if the July Charter is finalised, the adoption of essential legal and policy frameworks can take time,” he added.
He emphasised that the public expects the interim government not only to hold elections but also to ensure justice for those affected during the recent upheavals.
“So many lives have been lost, and 50,000 to 60,000 people have been injured. Justice for them remains one of the uprising's principal demands,” he said.
“If we simply hold elections and walk away without addressing justice, how will we answer to the people—or to our own conscience? That is why the December to June timeline hinges upon reforms, the justice process, and other ongoing government initiatives.”
In response to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's remarks that the party had been dissatisfied with the discussion, Nazrul countered: “We felt they understood our explanations. To us, they appeared satisfied—even pleased.”
