BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has urged the government to immediately disclose the reforms on which consensus has already been reached among political parties and announce the date for the next national election.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday (April 24) after holding separate meetings with leaders of the Bangladesh Janadhikar Party and the Democratic Left Unity at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka, Khasru emphasized the importance of transparency and timely elections.
He said, “The Election Commission itself has stated that we cannot wait for reforms to be completed before holding elections. Elections are about restoring democratic order through people’s votes. Reforms are part of a continuous process—they happen before and after elections. However, the areas where consensus has already been reached should be made public. Once that’s done, what’s stopping us from announcing the election date?”
Citing remarks from Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Khasru said, “Even Dr. Yunus has said reforms should be carried out based on consensus. So the government must clarify which reform proposals have been agreed upon. It’s not just BNP—almost every political party has already submitted their proposals for reforms. Now it’s time to inform the nation about the points of agreement and move forward.”
Responding to a journalist’s question about criticism that BNP is only calling for elections to gain power, Khasru said, “Of course elections lead to power—that’s how democracy works. People vote, and elected representatives form the government. Anyone who believes in democracy will agree with that. There’s no confusion here.”
He added that the public is eager for elections, and everyone is prepared to cast their votes by December. “This is not about personal gain—this is about democracy. Let the people decide who supports democratic values and who does not. The people of Bangladesh are not naive—they are watching everything closely,” he said.
During the meeting, Democratic Left Unity coordinator and Social Democratic Party (SDP) convenor Abul Kalam Azad also addressed the media, refuting allegations that BNP and its allies are not interested in reforms. “This is a completely false narrative. We were among the first to demand reforms and even proposed a 31-point reform agenda over two years ago. That agenda already covers most of the key issues. If something is missing, we are open to dialogue. But don’t mislead the nation with false messages just to hold onto power,” he stated.
Azad also criticized the electoral process since 2008, saying, “We haven’t had the opportunity to vote in union, municipal, city, or national elections in a free and fair manner. If we still have to wait years to regain that right, then when exactly will democracy be restored?”
He expressed confidence that a fair election could be held before December. “The voter list will be updated by June or July, and the current Election Commission has the structural capacity to conduct elections. If there’s political will, a credible election is entirely possible before the end of this year,” Azad said.
From the BNP side, Amir Khasru and Vice Chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu were present at the meeting. The Bangladesh Janadhikar Party delegation was led by party president Ismail Hossain Samrat, while Abul Kalam Azad headed the Democratic Left Unity delegation.
