National Citizen Party (NCP) member secretary Akhtar Hossain said on Friday that his party views Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ statement on holding elections in the first half of February positively.
Speaking to journalists at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan, New York, he said the proposed timeline could allow reforms and judicial processes to be completed before moving toward a well-organised election.
“We believe there must be an election in Bangladesh and it must be acceptable to all. The timeline of February offers an opportunity to ensure a level playing field, neutralise the field administration, bring law and order under control, and conclude discussions on the reform agenda. A legal framework for these reforms can be built based on political consensus,” Akhtar said.
He noted that the chief adviser cannot declare an exact date due to legal constraints, which is the sole authority of the Election Commission. “What he has said about the first half of February, he has been saying for a long time. We believe the commitment to elections should be integrated with reforms and justice before the government advances in this direction,” he added.
On proportional representation (PR) in the upper house, Akhtar said the NCP has consistently demanded PR in the upper chamber, though not in the lower. “To prevent unilateral constitutional changes, the upper house must play a role. That is why we have demanded PR in the upper chamber so that representation there is based on proportionality,” he said.
