Staff Reporter:
BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday said investment, business activities and even personal and family decisions across the country have come to a standstill as people are waiting for the national election.
“People now want emancipation form the current situation through the election. All decisions have been postponed — whether it is about investment, business, or family matters. Everyone is saying, Let the election happen first, then we’ll decide. Everything is on hold,” he said.
The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at the launch of a book titled ‘Visionary Recommen-dations for Building an Advanced Nation of the Future’ at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU).
The event was organised by the book’s author and publisher, Dr Mohammad Faiz Uddin MBE, a former senior official in the UK public service and local government.
Khosru, a BNP Standing Committee member, alleged that a certain group is trying to delay the election despite people’s strong desire to vote.
“Those who are working to delay the election are actually against democracy. Can we really believe they stand for democratic values?” he said.
On the issue of the proposed referendum, Khosru said, “The current interim government has taken oath under the existing Constitution, which does not allow a referendum before or on the election day. Still, BNP has agreed, out of political tolerance, to consider a referendum on the election day for the sake of harmony and mutual respect.”
He said BNP agreed to the idea of holding the referendum on the election day as a gesture of political tolerance. “We have shown flexibility so that mutual respect is maintained and the country does not fall into chaos.”
Khosru said the BNP has already completed much of the groundwork for reforms in key sectors, includ-ing administration, policing and governance, to ensure that, if the party receives a mandate to form the government, it can begin implementing its plans from day one.
Khosru criticized those trying to impose their own ideas on others under the guise of forming consensus. “True democracy means respecting differences and reaching agreements through people’s mandate, not by forcing others to accept one’s views. Decisions about how the country will run must come from the people, not a small group in Dhaka.”
