Referendum before national polls unnecessary, impractical: Fakhrul
"The BNP will never accept a referendum outside of election day. Considering the time, cost, and the massive logistical arrangements similar to an election, it is ill-considered," he says
With the national election already announced for the first half of February 2026, holding a referendum beforehand is "unnecessary, unreasonable and impractical", BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (30 October).
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office in the capital, he said, "The BNP will never accept a referendum outside of election day. Considering the time, cost, and the massive logistical arrangements similar to an election, it is ill-considered."
The senior BNP leader said, "We agreed to the referendum only to give a legal basis to the implementation of the July Charter.
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"But we cannot agree with the other recommendations of the National Consensus Commission as they ignored the issues where differences or notes of dissent existed and included matters that were never discussed during the long meetings."
He further said they were deeply disappointed with the recommendations, arguing that such proposals would divide the nation instead of uniting it and that accepting any arbitrary reform could cause long-term harm to the national interest.
"Given the limited time, the large costs, and the extensive manpower required, including law enforcement and election officials, it would be more logical to hold the referendum and the election together on the same day," Fakhrul added.
