BNP losing faith in interim govt

TIMES Report
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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir briefing newsmen at BNP Chairperson's office in Gulshan recently. Photo: Collected

Frustration is mounting within the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as they begin to lose faith in the interim government’s commitment to holding the parliamentary elections in the first half of February 2026.

Party leaders now accuse the government of deliberately stalling and failing to announce a definitive election date, while suggesting that a conspiracy may lie behind the delay.

Many senior BNP leaders have expressed concern that issues such as the law-and-order situation, the election to local government bodies ahead of the national election, and the implementation of the proportional representation (PR) system are being used as pretexts to postpone the polls.

Although the in

terim government has repeatedly assured that the election will be held as promised by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, the BNP has remained sceptical, citing the lack of any concrete instructions to the Election Commission (EC). The party has dismissed these assurances as vague promises.

This issue is currently being discussed in various party forums, including the BNP’s highest policy-making body, the Standing Committee.

As the country’s largest political force in the absence of the ousted Awami League, the party is becoming increasingly desperate for a clear election roadmap, including a firm election date.

During a Standing Committee meeting held on 16 July, senior leaders discussed the possibility of formally approaching the chief adviser to demand a clear election timeline.

According to party insiders, a BNP delegation is planning to meet with the chief adviser, contingent on receiving the go-ahead from the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Times of Bangladesh on Sunday that the next parliamentary election must take place by mid-February 2026.

“There is no alternative,” he reaffirmed the party’s firm stance.

BNP supporters chanting slogans in London during a meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman recently. Photo: Collected

 

Earlier on Friday, he told this newspaper that conspiracies are being orchestrated regarding the election. “Deliberate efforts are being made to destabilise the country and obstruct the path to democratic transition,” he alleged, calling on the government to announce the election date without further delay.

Leaders of the BNP have also noted that after a joint declaration between Tarique and Yunus during their meeting in London on 13 June, much of the grassroots anxiety regarding the election subsided.

The first half of February 2026 was mentioned as the probable date for the polls, providing temporary reassurance to party supporters.

However, the BNP now fears that recent political unrest, along with various excuses, are part of a deliberate strategy to delay the election further.

Tarique has become increasingly disillusioned with the interim government’s commitment. On Saturday, he urged the public and political parties to stay vigilant and monitor whether any group, possibly supported by a section of the interim government, is attempting to create a deliberate situation to derail the upcoming election.

“If you listen to what people are saying on social media and elsewhere, it seems some are trying to engineer a planned situation in the country, possibly with the backing of a section of the interim government. This is a concern shared by many,” Tarique said during a teleconference from London.

Referring to recent clashes between Awami League activists and law enforcement around the National Citizen Party (NCP) rally in Gopalganj, which left five people dead from gunfire, the BNP views these incidents as part of a wider “strategy to provoke fascism and delay elections.”

BNP leaders have also argued that the government’s silence, combined with the Election Commission’s failure to announce a clear election timeline, has left the commission unable to make the necessary preparations.

Speaking with this newspaper, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas stressed that the election must be held by February.

“The interim government has stated that the election will be held at an appropriate time, but it must announce a date through the Election Commission,” he said.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that those seeking to postpone the election are the same individuals creating instability in the country. However, he believes the people will ultimately rise up against this conspiracy.

Zainul Abedin Farroque, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, warned that if the election is not held on time, the people will take to the streets, and the interim government will bear the responsibility.

BNP leaders also believe that the rift between Jamaat and the NCP, along with the growing demand for local government elections before the national polls, is part of a broader strategy to delay the general election.

To exert pressure on the government, the BNP will continue to organise regular programmes, demanding a clear roadmap for the national elections.

These elections will not only determine the future of democracy in Bangladesh but also shape the country’s political trajectory.

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