BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the interim government is moving in the right direction regarding the upcoming national election.
He made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon while speaking to reporters after a meeting with the Nationalist Small Ethnic Group Party at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan.
Commenting on Tuesday night’s meeting between the Chief Adviser and four political parties including the BNP, Fakhrul said,
“The Chief Adviser suddenly called us. He sometimes does that when a crisis emerges in the government. We go because we are committed to cooperating with this government and doing whatever is necessary for the transition to democracy. However, we believe such consultations should happen more frequently.”
Speaking about the Milestone tragedy, he said, “The plane crash claimed the lives of many young children. I personally went to visit the site. We have expressed our grief and condolences. On Tuesday, in the wake of the incident, two advisers were confined at Milestone School.”
He added, “Due to complications surrounding examinations, students entered the Secretariat, which many saw as a result of administrative failure. A few days ago in Gopalganj, the actions of fascist forces created a similarly alarming situation.”
“That’s why,” Fakhrul said, “the Chief Adviser stated that political parties have fought against fascist forces and that he invited all of them for discussions. We participated and emphasized the need to accelerate the election process. The Chief Adviser has pledged that elections will be held around mid-February to March, and we believe preparations should begin accordingly. He assured us that such steps would be taken.”
In response to a question about whether the government is indeed on the right path regarding elections, Fakhrul replied, “As far as I can see, it is.”
Regarding the limitations of the interim government, Fakhrul noted,
“It’s natural for this government to have flaws. But instead of magnifying its weaknesses, we should focus on its good intentions. I do not see any lack of sincerity on the government’s part when it comes to the election.”