BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has responded to Jamaat-e-Islami’s claim that the chief adviser at the London meeting had shown “special fondness toward a particular party.” Salahuddin Ahmed stated that it was not a matter of showing fondness to any party. Rather, the new election timeline announced by the chief adviser matches the suggestion made earlier by Jamaat’s ameer that the election could be held in February before Ramadan in 2026.
Salahuddin Ahmed further said that in Jamaat-e-Islami’s statement about the meeting, it is stated that on 16 April, after meeting with a foreign mission, the Jamaat ameer told journalists that elections might be held in February 2026 before Ramadan. Therefore, the post-London meeting announcement regarding the election timeline is consistent with the Jamaat ameer’s viewpoint. This should not be interpreted as showing special preference toward any party.
Speaking on Saturday afternoon to Prothom Alo about London meeting, BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed made these remarks about the reaction expressed by the Jamaat-e-Islami's central executive council to the media. He also spoke about the reaction of National Citizen Party (NCP).
Chief advisor of the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus met with BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman in London yesterday, Friday. In the joint statement made after the meeting, it was said that if all preparations can be completed in time, the election will be held before Ramadan, that is, in the first half of February next year.
On Friday night NCP, the party comprising youth who were at the helm of the July mass uprising, expressed their official reaction. They felt that the government was giving priority to the stand and demand of one party only concerning the election. They said that the July declaration was be presented, the July Charter must be enacted to implement the fundamental reforms, a roadmap for the trials must be declared, and only then should election-related discussions be finalised.
BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said, the new political party (NCP) is viewing the London meeting from a party viewpoint. He advised that they rise above the party viewpoint to take decisions in greater national interests and also to earn further experience.
Several political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, have expressed dissatisfaction with the way a consensus was reached between the government and BNP on a possible election timeline during the London meeting, and how that consensus was announced through a joint statement.
Leaders of these parties say they have no objection to the idea of holding elections in the first half of February. Nor are they opposed to the government reaching a consensus with the country’s largest political party on this matter. However, they question whether the government can justifiably issue a joint statement about elections with a single party and whether that is ethical.
