CA will soon make formal announcement on election to eliminate all ambiguity: Fakhrul

During a meeting with political parties last night, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus told leaders that the government would soon make a formal announcement on elections to eliminate all ambiguity, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (23 July).

Speaking to journalists following a meeting at the BNP Chairperson's office in Gulshan, he said, "The chief adviser pledged to hold elections by mid-February, and we believe arrangements should be made quickly to meet that timeline.

"A formal announcement should be made to eliminate all ambiguity. We told him that such steps must be taken immediately. He responded by saying he intends to proceed accordingly."

Fakhrul said the only viable solution to the ongoing political crisis in the country is to hold elections as soon as possible to establish a political government.

"Our stance as a political party has always been clear — elections must be held quickly to establish a political government. Without a political government, the existing problems will only deepen," he said.

"The chief adviser has called upon political parties for dialogue. We participated and assured him of our full cooperation. We emphasised the need to expedite the electoral process."

On the issue of political unity, the BNP leader said, "The unity remains intact. What you see in the media — political parties arguing, sometimes supporting each other, sometimes criticising — is part of politics. It's normal to attack opponents with rhetoric and establish one's own position. We're not worried about this. That's how politics works."

"Democracy means allowing a hundred flowers to bloom," Fakhrul said, adding, "It means allowing everyone to speak, listening to all opinions. That is the essence of democracy — and only through such openness can we expect a flourishing, fragrant society."

In response to a question regarding BNP's position on whether a party leader can become head of government, Fakhrul said, "That's a proposal from the National Consensus Commission. Discussions are ongoing. We, along with other parties, have presented our opinions. Let's see what emerges from this dialogue."

Addressing the recent training aircraft crash in Uttara, Fakhrul said, "We view it as an accident, and the government also sees it as such. It appears to be nothing but an unfortunate incident."

"As far as I've heard — I'm not an expert — this aircraft was used for training. There are reports of previous accidents – I'm not certain. But this was reportedly the pilot's final solo flight before completing training. Something must have gone wrong, and while the pilot tried to avoid crashing in a populated area, he ultimately failed," Fakhrul added.

The meeting was held between the BNP leadership and representatives of the Nationalist Indigenous Peoples' Party, in preparation for a gathering of indigenous communities scheduled for 30 August in Mymensingh.