The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says it will decide its next steps after internal discussions and consultations with allies, following what it described as a disappointing meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday on the future of the country’s elections.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters the interim government had failed to give a clear commitment on whether elections would be held by December — a key demand from the party.
“The Chief Adviser did not say the elections won’t happen in December. But he didn’t assure us that they will either,” Mr Fakhrul said. “We will now sit with our Standing Committee and partner parties before deciding our strategy.”
Warning that any further delay would erode public trust, the BNP has long insisted that necessary reforms be carried out before the polls, with the rest to be undertaken by the elected government.
Following the meeting, the government’s Law Adviser, Dr Asif Nazrul, said there was no question of postponing the election timetable.
“The government remains fully committed to holding elections within the previously announced timeframe — between December this year and June 2026,” Dr Nazrul told the media. “The idea of delay does not arise at all.”
His use of the phrase “not at all” mirrored that of Mirza Fakhrul, who earlier used the same words to express doubt over the government’s intentions — highlighting the contrasting narratives from both camps.
BNP sources say the party is under pressure from its grassroots to take a harder stance for election by this year, but senior leaders have indicated a preference for building broader consensus first.
For now, the BNP remains in wait-and-see mode — with no breakthrough yet in sight, party insiders said.
BNP is expected to convene its senior leaders and partners, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Gono Odhikar Parishad, later this week to determine a coordinated response.
In a significant political development, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami held a meeting with BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in London, with Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman also in attendance. The meeting was considered crucial in light of emerging tensions between the two allies after the political fallout following Sheikh Hasina’s departure on August 5.
BNP is also scheduled to hold a meeting with the National Consensus Commission, which is working to build agreement on reforms. The commission is headed by the Chief Adviser himself, with Ali Riaz serving as its vice chairman.