Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to raise not only the matter of a definitive roadmap for the next general election but also a range of broader concerns in Wednesday's (16 April) high-stakes meeting with the head of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus.
According to party sources, BNP leaders plan to press the chief adviser for concrete answers on when the election will be held and when the official roadmap will be announced.
Should the responses prove unsatisfactory, the party may return to coordinated street agitation alongside its allies.
The meeting is scheduled for 12pm at the state guesthouse Jamuna, with BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir leading the delegation.
On Tuesday evening, the BNP’s standing committee convened to finalise the agenda, centring around the demand for a firm declaration on election timing. Party leaders say conflicting statements from government advisers have sown confusion about the electoral process.
They note a visible lack of preparation on the government's part, citing unresolved issues such as the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies.
The current Election Commission has submitted a proposal for seat reallocation to the law ministry, which remains pending. Moreover, the previous Awami League government shifted the National Identity (NID) database from the Election Commission to the home ministry.
Although the current EC has proposed bringing it back under its control—an idea approved by the advisory council—no progress has been made.
BNP also intends to raise concerns about the entrenched presence of Awami League loyalists within the bureaucracy. They argue that individuals who faced discrimination under the previous government have yet to be reinstated or promoted. These administrative imbalances, too, will feature in today's discussions.
BNP policymakers believe that divergent statements from several advisers, including the chief adviser, have fuelled uncertainty. During a prior meeting, Yunus assured the party that he was working towards holding elections by December 2025.
BNP leaders now say they see a retreat from that position in his recent interviews, in which he suggested polls might be held anytime between December this year and June next year.
The party, however, remains adamant that elections must take place by December.
BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, “The chief adviser previously committed to a December election, and any deviation from that is unacceptable. We are also deeply concerned about certain advisers’ public posts and statements, which appear aimed at delaying the polls. We will ask when the roadmap will be unveiled and when directives will be given to the Election Commission.”
3-month action plan ahead
BNP recently held internal meetings to prepare for organisational activities over the next three months, in case the election timeline remains vague. The plan includes rallies, marches, and demonstrations, starting at the grassroots level and culminating in a major event in Dhaka.
Party insiders reveal that preparations for a large-scale rally in Dhaka are already under way.
If no concrete timeline emerges from today's meeting, the BNP may escalate its programmes accordingly.
Following Wednesday's talks, the BNP is also scheduled to meet the National Consensus Commission tomorrow afternoon to discuss proposed reforms.
The interim government assumed power on 8 August 2024, following the dramatic ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic regime on 5 August amid a popular uprising led by students and ordinary citizens.
Tasked with systemic reforms, the interim authority, under Yunus’s leadership, formed six separate commissions in early October to draft reforms for the constitution, electoral process, public administration, police, judiciary, and anti-corruption institutions.
These commissions released their full reports in February.
National Consensus Commission, comprising the heads of those reform bodies and led by Yunus, began formal discussions with political parties on 15 February.
These talks are expected to culminate in a “July Charter” that will underpin the upcoming general election.
