People want Yunus' dignified exit after holding election at earliest: BNP

Highlights:

• BNP leaders reiterate call for election by December
• Yunus' resignation his personal decision, not a demand from BNP, Salahuddin says
• BNP leader Farroque urges Yunus not to resign

Several senior BNP leaders, including Abdul Moyeen Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Zainul Abedin Farroque, have said that the BNP does not seek Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's abrupt resignation, but rather a dignified exit following the holding of the next parliamentary election as soon as possible.

Their remarks followed reports that the chief adviser, during a lengthy Thursday Advisory Council meeting, voiced frustration over political unrest and lack of cooperation from political parties, and hinted at stepping down.

In response, BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan yesterday told Reuters that the people of the country want a dignified exit of Prof Yunus after he holds the national election at the earliest.

The BNP leader also sought an official corroboration from the CA's office regarding the media reports on his probable resignation.

Senior BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque has urged Chief Adviser Yunus not to resign.

"You [Yunus] are not just an individual, you are 18 crore Bangladeshis' Yunus. We don't want your resignation," he said while addressing a rally at the National Press Club in Dhaka today.

Farroque said, "You are a conscious citizen who has made us proud on the world stage. You are a Nobel laureate. But yesterday, I was shocked. I also read in the newspaper, although I don't know how much of this news is true – you reportedly told an NCP leader that you see no alternative but to resign.

"I felt disheartened by this news. We all placed you in that position with a purpose. We want to know why you haven't been able to make progress in the past nine months."

Farroque, one of the advisers to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, said, "The delay in holding the next parliamentary elections is fuelling instability in the country. You [Yunus] were appointed to facilitate the election. Nine months have passed, yet there is no sign of an election schedule.

"There appears to be a wave of unrest sweeping the country. Who are the main culprits behind this instability? Under whose influence is the election being delayed? That's why our party was compelled to say: the three advisers – Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Mahfuj Alam, and Khalilur Rahman – must resign.

"Otherwise, it will fall upon you [Yunus] to remove them."

The BNP leader also urged the chief adviser to set an example by ensuring a peaceful democratic transition so that future generations could take pride in him as an acceptable and honourable figure of the nation.

BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed also said his party did not demand the resignation of Yunus. 

He said, "If Dr Yunus chooses to step down instead of announcing an election roadmap, that is entirely his personal matter. We have not demanded his resignation. 

"However, if he feels personally incapable of carrying out his duties, the state will not remain idle – it will find an alternative. No one in this world is indispensable."

The BNP leader added, "We still hope that Dr Yunus, being a globally respected figure, will understand the situation and announce an election roadmap that ensures the national elections are held by December, in line with the people's expectations."

Meanwhile, two senior leaders of the BNP have stated that they are not going for a movement just yet. However, they also warned that a movement may be necessary if required to reclaim voting rights, according to media reports.

BNP Standing Committee Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, "Whenever the topic of elections comes up, it seems to be viewed as if it's an agenda of the opposition. But voting is the right of all citizens of the country.

"If there is a conspiracy by those who want to deprive the people of their rights, the people of Bangladesh will not accept it."

Standing Committee Member Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, "The government does not want the BNP to come to power; their preferred party is the NCP. As long as this party does not mature and gain more strength, the current government, especially the head of the government, has no intention of holding elections. 

"But their silence on the matter of elections, and their continued patronage of a party, essentially creating a 'King's Party', is setting a bad example."